Free
Medical
#107
Museum of the Order of St John
A compact, free museum that unpacks 900 years of the Hospitaller story—from medieval care for pilgrims to today’s St John Ambulance—set inside the Order’s London gatehouse, priory church and cloister.
Opening Hours
Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
What's not to miss inside?
Gatehouse Galleries
Sets the scene: crusader origins, the eight-pointed cross, and medical care as a mission.From Jerusalem wards to Victorian first aid in a few crisp rooms.
📍 Clerkenwell Gate, street entrance
Chapel, Crypt & Chapter Hall (tour)
The living HQ: ceremony spaces, relics, and memorials not on general display.Architecture carries the Order’s memory: stone, heraldry, and silence.
📍 Guided tour only—ask at desk
Hands-on Collections
Small scale, big access—handling sessions make history tactile.A glove, a badge, a manual—ordinary objects, long service.
📍 Study room / tour moments
Inspire your Friends
- Modern St John Ambulance grew from the Victorian revival of the Order in Britain (charter 1888) to teach civilian first aid.
- The eight-pointed ‘Maltese’ cross signifies the Order’s medieval ideals and is still worn by today’s volunteers.
- Parts of the priory complex were rebuilt after wartime damage—layers of repair are visible in stonework and timber.
