London’s Hidden Treasures: 5 Quirky Museums You’ve Probably Never Visited

London is a city packed with blockbuster museums—think the British Museum, the V&A, and the Natural History Museum—but tucked away on quiet streets and behind unassuming facades are a handful of smaller, quirkier institutions that offer equally fascinating, and often surprising, experiences. If you’ve ticked off the big hitters and are looking for something different, here are five hidden gems that will make you fall in love with the city all over again.

Spencer House: A Slice of Aristocratic London

Begin your journey at Spencer House, a grand 18th-century private palace built for the Spencer family—yes, the same lineage as Princess Diana. Located in St James’s, this magnificent townhouse has been painstakingly restored to its original neoclassical splendor, giving visitors a glimpse into the glittering world of Georgian high society.

After World War II, the Spencer family long-term leased the house, and it eventually came under the care of the Rothschild family, who led a sensitive restoration. They brought back original paneling, art, and furniture that had been removed to the family’s country estate for safekeeping during the London bombings. On a tour, you’ll learn curious tidbits—such as why green-painted walls were a rarity in the 18th century and how much of the “marble” is actually scagliola, a masterful faux-marble technique. Tours are intimate, offered only on Sundays, and limited to small groups. Walking through its ornate drawing rooms and gilded salons feels like stepping into a time machine.

Practical Info:

• Opening hours: Sundays only, guided tours at set times (usually 10:30am–4:30pm).

• Tickets: Around £18 adults, concessions available. Advance booking strongly recommended.

• Closest Tube stop: Green Park

Leighton House: An Artist’s Dream Home

From there, make your way west to Kensington, where Leighton House awaits. Once home to Victorian painter Frederic Leighton, this museum is one of the most extraordinary artist’s residences in Europe. The showstopper is the Arab Hall, an opulent space inspired by Leighton’s travels in the Middle East, dripping with Islamic tiles, golden mosaics, and a delicate fountain that whispers tranquility.

If you’re lucky, you may also see Flaming June—painted in this very house and now known as the “Mona Lisa of the Southern Hemisphere.” Although the painting is owned by the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, it is sometimes loaned back to Leighton House, allowing visitors to see it in the setting where it was created. It’s little wonder that Leighton, with such discerning taste, ended up advising the future king on art acquisitions for Buckingham Palace and the royal country estates.

Practical Info:

• Opening hours: Wed–Mon, 10am–5:30pm (closed Tuesdays).

• Tickets: About £12 adults, concessions and local discounts available.

• Closest Tube stop: High Street Kensington

London Canal Museum: Ice, Boats, and Industrial Charm

For a complete change of pace, head north to King’s Cross and discover the London Canal Museum. Housed in a former ice warehouse, this museum tells two intertwined stories: the history of London’s canals and the Victorian ice trade. In an era before refrigerators, huge blocks of Norwegian ice were shipped to London and stored in the deep wells beneath this building. Today you can peer into one of these original ice wells and imagine the clinking of ice being hauled up for the city’s wealthy households.

The museum also includes a quirky display on the history of ice cream, tracing its rise in popularity thanks to the ice trade—and even explaining why the notorious “penny lick,” a reusable glass dish, was banned for spreading disease. Elsewhere, you can explore a real 19th-century canal boat, offering a window into how entire families lived and worked together in these floating homes. Outside, the towpaths and narrowboats provide the perfect excuse for a canal-side stroll.

Practical Info:

• Opening hours: Tues–Sun, 10am–4:30pm.

• Tickets: £7.50 adults, £5 concessions, children free under 6.

• Closest Tube stop: King’s Cross St. Pancras

Benjamin Franklin House: A Founding Father in London

Few realize that Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers, spent nearly 16 years living just steps from Trafalgar Square. His former home is now the Benjamin Franklin House, a small museum that brings his London years vividly to life through immersive historical performances.

Here Franklin experimented with science, diplomacy, and invention—while also renting rooms to anatomy students, which led to the later discovery of human bones in the basement. It’s a fascinating mash-up of Georgian London, transatlantic history, and just a hint of mystery.

Practical Info:

• Opening hours: Wed–Sun, 12–5pm (special performance tours Fri–Sun).

• Tickets: £12.50 adults, £8 concessions.

• Closest Tube stop: Charing Cross

Strawberry Hill House: A Gothic Fairy Tale

End your tour with the most whimsical of them all: Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham. Built by writer and politician Horace Walpole in the 18th century, this was the first neo-Gothic country house in Britain. At the time, Gothic Revival architecture was new, bold, and highly eccentric—but Walpole’s fanciful creation ushered in an architectural craze that swept through the 19th century.

With its fanciful turrets, intricate stained glass, and rooms designed to dazzle and delight, Strawberry Hill feels plucked from a dream. Walpole didn’t just reshape architecture; he also reshaped literature. He is credited with writing the very first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, which became a sensation and set the stage for everything from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Every corner of Strawberry Hill invites you to linger, whether it’s the enchanting library or the richly painted Gallery, gleaming like a jewelry box.

Practical Info:

• Opening hours: Sun–Wed, 11am–4pm.

• Tickets: £14.50 adults, £7 children, free for under 5s.

• Closest station: Strawberry Hill (National Rail, 35 minutes from Waterloo)

Why These Museums Are Worth Your Time

What ties these places together is their intimacy and individuality. Unlike the sprawling institutions that draw millions of visitors each year, these museums let you slow down, absorb their stories, and interact with history in a more personal way. They’re places where you might meet a curator who knows every detail about the building or wander into a room that feels like it’s been frozen in time.

So next time you’re in London, step off the well-worn tourist path and discover its quieter, quirkier corners. You’ll leave with a deeper sense of the city’s layers—and a few excellent stories to tell.