Florence Nightingale Museum, London
The Lady of the Lamp who captured the nation's imagination
The Florence Nightingale Museum is dedicated to the work of the Lady of the Lamp. Nightingale captured the imagination of the nation as she nursed soldiers of the Crimean War.
Who was Florence Nightingale? Nightingale captured the imagination of the nation as she nursed soldiers of the Crimean War. She is famed as the Lady of the Lamp’.
Located at St. Thomas’ Hospital, this small museum gives an account of the career of this remarkable woman.
Top Attractions at the Florence Nightingale Museum
1. The Lady’s Lamp
2. Gadgets and instruments
3. Figurines sold by her fans
4. Personal documents
5. Her pet owl (stuffed)
6. A stethoscope audio guide
7. Nightingale in 200 Objects
All About the Florence Nightingale Museum
KIDS FRIENDLY?
Age 5+
HOURS
Wednesday to Sunday 10 am - 5 pm. Last entry 4:30 pm
LOCATION
St. Thomas’ Hospital, 2 Lambeth Place Road, London SE1 7EW
WHAT'S THERE
A one-room museum, split into three areas to discover.
UNDERGROUND
Waterloo (Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern)
Westminster (Circle, District)
BUS
Westminster Bridge
York Road
TRAIN
Waterloo
VISIT TIME
Allow an hour
ENTRY COST*
Adult: £10
Concessions: £8
Child: £5
Family: £25
FEATURED ACTIVITIES
Interactive guides. Children’s activities during the school holidays.
GUIDED TOURS
Each open weekday at 3:30 pm and at 11:30 am on weekends
WHEELCHAIRS
The museum is at ground level and accessible from the hospital car park (fee payable) and is wheelchair friendly.
ADVANCE TICKETS
No advance tickets, just turn up
Is It Just an Old Lamp?
Well, you will see the lamp.
Florence Nightingale came from a wealthy family and was expected to marry, although she never did, and to have children. She had very different ideas and her ambition was to become a nurse. In the Victorian age, nurses were considered to be appalling people, drunks, and thieves.
Undeterred, Nightingale set off for the Crimean War (1853-1856) aged 34 and at that time, with little experience in nursing. Florence Nightingale spent two years nursing wounded soldiers in a military hospital in Turkey.
She would tour the wards at night with a lamp, which gave her the now famous title of ‘The Lady of the Lamp’.
When she returned from Crimea, Nightingale founded the first school of nursing at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and is an inspiration to nurses the world over. She died at the age of 90.
The one-room museum dedicated to her life, is split into three areas and makes a very engaging visit for children and adults alike.
One area shows a mock-up of her bedroom (pictured above) where she spent much of her life. The second is hemmed in by hedgerows to represent her wealthy youth, with the third clad in tiles to represent her time in Turkey.
There are interactive displays, medical instruments, and the famous lamp.
You can discover 200 objects which showcase Florence Nightingale’s life and times.
An I-Spy trail for aged seven and under. Themed activities during the school holidays. Touch screen challenges and washing hands and scanning for germs.
Plenty of exhibits and an over-the-shoulder picture of Nightingale’s bedroom.
There is shop seloing souviners. No food or drink is available, with cafes close by.
The museum is at ground level and accessible from the hospital car park (fee payable) and is wheelchair friendly.
How to get to the Florence Nightingale Museum
The museum is located in the grounds of St. Thomas’ Hospital on the corner of Westminster Bridge and Lambeth Palace Road. There is a hospital car park and the entry is at ground level. The museum is a short walk from the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye.
* Entry costs are an indication and may change.
Picture credit: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)