Museum of Life Sciences
The Museum of Life Sciences is a compact, quietly fascinating study collection at King's College London. It brings together nineteenth- and twentieth-century teaching specimens: human and animal skeletons, jars of fluid-preserved creatures, careful taxidermy, fossils, and early pharmaceutical tools. You see how doctors and biologists learned before scans and high-speed video-through bones, bell jars, and handwritten labels. Displays emphasise comparative anatomy and the craft of preservation, from wax-sealed jars to glass eyes and stitched seams. It's not open daily and usually requires an appointment, so plan ahead. Ideal for students, makers, and the scientifically curious who prefer detail over spectacle, with plenty to sketch or photograph thoughtfully.
Opening Hours
Admissions
What's not to miss inside?
Historic Skeletons
Rare zoological specimensTeaching skeletons from the 19th and early 20th centuries show how doctors learned anatomy before digital imaging, with labelled bones used in lecture rooms across King’s College departments.
📍 Main Gallery
Fluid Preserved Samples
Delicate biological specimensHundreds of jars hold fish, reptiles, and small mammals preserved in clear spirits, a Victorian method that keeps soft tissues visible for study decades after collection.
📍 Upper Shelves
Taxidermy Collection
Study of animal anatomyMounted birds and mammals capture real plumage and muscle shapes, vital for researchers before colour photography and high-speed video revealed movement frame by frame.
📍 Central Display
Pharmaceutical Artefacts
Medical history objectsPill rollers, embossed bottles, and glazed jars trace pharmacy’s shift from hand-mixed remedies in the 1800s to mass-produced tablets and branded packaging in the 20th century.
📍 Side Cabinets
Fossil Displays
Evidence of Earth’s historyJurassic ammonites and marine fossils chart life in ancient seas and include specimens collected by King’s College researchers during fieldwork and teaching expeditions.
📍 Entrance Hall
Inspire your Friends
- The Museum of Life Sciences opened in 2009 as part of King’s College London’s teaching collections.
- Holdings include hundreds of zoological specimens, many gathered for medical teaching in the 19th century.
- Spirit-preserved jars use alcohol-based solutions that keep soft tissues visible for decades.
- Several taxidermy birds were mounted before 1900 and still support classes in comparative anatomy.
- The museum is not open daily; visits are usually by appointment or scheduled teaching.
