[BLOG POST IN BIO] 🌊⚓️ 𝙉𝙖𝙤 𝙑𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙖 is a full scale replica of Magellan’s ship that circumnavigated the globe, and you can now board and walk around Nao Victoria Foundation built the replica of the Victoria in 1991 and in 2004 it embarked on the same ambitions journey as Magellan in 1519: to circumnavigated the globe 🌏 The ship sailed 26,894 miles and visited 17 countries before returning to Seville, Spain in 2006. Thus, Nao Victoria became the first replica ship to circumnavigate the globe. 📍 Where St Katharine Docks’ central basin (Nearest station is Towel Hill) 🗓️ When 30th June – 12th July 2026 The ship is open between 10am – 8pm daily. 🎟️ Tickets Tickets are available online or on the spot Adult ticket: £10 Child ticket: £8
In 1519 Ferdinand Magellan and five ships, including the Victoria, left Seville to reach the Spice Islands and open a new trade route for Spain. This was the first recorded trip around the globe opening a new chapter in the rise of global trade.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
During the voyage, four of the five ships was lost or returned to Spain early. Only Victora completed its journey. Victoria left Seville in 1519 with 243 crew members and returned to Spain in 1522 with only 18.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Magellan never returned from this voyage as he was killed by local warriors at the Philippines on the 27th April 1521. He got a poisoned arrow to his leg before the warriors surrounded him and stabbed him to death.
Left without a captain, Victora was commanded back to Spain by Juan Sebastian Elcano.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Nao Victoria Foundation built the replica of the Victoria in 1991. The long process was carried out by ship designer and builder, Ignacio Fernández Vial who used original documentary sources, chronicles, iconography and nautical treaties from the 16th century to rebuild the ship as accurately as possible.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The ship was named Nao Victoria (the word ‘nao’ is an old-fashioned Spanish word for large sailing ship or vessel) and embarked on the same journey in 2004 as Magellan’s Victoria in 1519.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Starting from Seville, Nao Victoria circumnavigated the globe, sailed 26, 894 miles and visited 17 countries before returning to the same city in 2006. Thus, Nao Victoria became the first replica ship to circumnavigate the globe.
Since 2007, Nao Victoria has been carrying out its own project as a floating museum, training ship and Ambassador of the First World Tour, symbol of the Spanish maritime history.
Ready for your next adventure? If you’re interested in history, you’ll love this hidden museum. Museum of the Order of St Johntells the story of an ancient order established by knights and still operating today under the same logo. Make sure you not just visit the free museum but also book one of their walking tours because you’ll get access to a crypt, the beautiful St John Priory Church, the Council Chamber and more.
Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience is London’s newest 3D interactive VR experience that uses real images from NASA, the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-ray Observatory to bring the universe close to you.
[Featured image in courtesy of Fever UK]
Book your ticket with Fever and use discount code ADVENTURERLDN10 to get 10% OFF!
𝖲𝗆𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗌𝗈𝗇𝗂𝖺𝗇 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝗄: 𝖠𝗇 𝖨𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖤𝗑𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 🚀 🪐✨ 👉 Book your ticket with @Fever and use discount code ADVENTURERLDN10 to get 10% OFF! A new VR experience opened in London that takes you on a breathtaking journey through the cosmos 🛰️ Walk among the stars, visit space telescopes, stand on the edge of a black hole, witness a supernova and visit an alien planet 🚀 📍 Where Science Museum | Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD (Nearest station is South Kensington Station | Piccadilly, Circle & District lines) 🗓️ When 26th June – 30th August 2026 @sciencemuseumlondon #nasaerambassador#vrexperience#cosmos#nasa#sciencemuseum
Walk Among the Stars, Stand on the Edge of a Black Hole and Explore an Alien Planet
Image in courtesy of Fever UK
Travel through the cosmos to the infinity and beyond with a one-of-a-kind virtual reality adventure!
Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience is developed in close collaboration with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and translates real Astronomical data into a breath-taking journey through space.
What to Expect from the Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience
Image in courtesy of Fever UK
Located at the Science Museum in South Kensington, Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience is a free roam 40-minute VR adventure.
It will take you for an incredible journey starting Earth’s observatories, climb aboard space telescopes, travel to the Sun and experience solar flares, explore exoplanets, witness a supernova and venture on the edge of a supermassive black hole.
Bask in the Sun
Image in courtesy of Fever UK
Walk on the surface of the Sun and witness powerful solar flares 30 times larger than Earth. Hear the Sun’s vibrations and listen to the real sound of our star captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe.
Visit Betelgeuse
Image in courtesy of Fever UK
Watch Betelgeuse, a red supergiant as it becomes a supernova.
Betelgeuse is located in the constellation Orion and visible to the naked eye from Earth.
Between 2019 and 2020 Betelgeuse underwent a dramatic drop in brightness and astronomers believed it was caused by a massive surface ejection that released a huge amount of dust. Astronomers also believe that Betelgeuse might explode very soon. When it explodes, it will be so bright, it will become visible during daytime.
Step Onto Giant Space Telescopes
Image in courtesy of Fever UK
Observe the universe through the eyes of the world’s most powerful space telescopes: the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Explore a Diamond Planet
Image in courtesy of Fever UK
Stand of the surface of an alien planet. Planet Janssen (55 Cancri e) is a super-Earth, located 41 lightyears from Earth in the constellation Cancer.
As the planet is orbiting very close to its star, its surface is extremely hot and covered in molten rock.
As walking on the surface of this extreme planet, you’ll watch volcanos erupting and spitting glittering diamonds structures.
You’ll also learn why we are so lucky that our planet is revolving in the narrow habitable zone around the Sun and what it meant if we would be a bit close to our star.
Stand on the Edge of a Super Massive Black Hole
Image in courtesy of Fever UK
Travel to the very centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, and stand face-to-face with Sagittarius A*, the super massive black hole in the heart of it.
Stand on the event horizon and witness how the black hole is grasping a star and ejecting millions of tons of debris that scatters into the galaxy.
Smithsonian Starstruck: An Immersive Experience is blending cutting-edge immersive technology with cinematic storytelling to translate real astronomical data and imagery into an awe-inspiring journey into the universe.
TIP: Use discount code ADVENTURERLDN10 to get 10% OFF!
Ready for your next adventure? Unlash your inner astronaut and embark on another space adventure, this time to the International Space Station (ISS). Space Explorers: The ISS Experience invites you for an incredible experience to explore the life-size 3D model of the space station and go for your own spacewalk.
[BLOG POST IN BIO] Anish Kapoor at Hayward Gallery After three decades, Anish Kapoor has returned to Hayward Gallery with a monumental exhibition. His works turn the world upside down, distort and twist, and transform exhibition spaces into places where your sense of scale, and even gravity begin waver 🕳️ #anishkapoor#CapCut
Vantablack, Distorted Mirrors, Giant Balloons, Upside Down Mountain
Photo: Urban Adventurer
After three decades, Anish Kapoor has returned to Hayward Gallery with his monumental exhibition taking all the exhibition rooms and the terraces. This exhibition is also the centrepiece of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary programme and the final exhibition curated by Ralph Rugoff as a Director of the Hayward Gallery for 20 years.
Over his career, Anish Kapoor has become known for his breath-taking, monumental installations. His works turn the world upside down, distort and twist, and transform exhibition spaces into places where your sense of scale, and even gravity begin waver.
Giant Red Balloons – All of Nothing
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Your exhibition journey starts in a room almost entirely filled with a giant red balloon.
The monumental installation leaves very little room for the visitors as it almost fills the whole room. It’s so vast, you can only see the whole thing if you climb the spiral staircase.
The giant balloon represents the tension between the opposites which Kapoor calls: All of Nothing. The balloon takes up almost the entire space, but at the same time, it’s filled with air, meaning – in reality – it’s nothing because if we pop the balloon, nothing is left.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Similar red balloons appear in the final room of the exhibition where an upside down mountain is floating from just inches above the ground.
The Blackest Black Material in the World
Photo: Urban Adventurer
In the next room, visitors have the rare opportunity to encounter installations made from Vantablack, the blackest known substance in the world.
Vantablack absorbs 99.965% of light, creating the blackest black material possible.
It’s not paint. It’s a special material developed by nano technology: billions of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes are tightly packed together, so when the light hits the surface, it becomes trapped between the tubes.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Only a very few artists are allowed to use this material, and Anish Kapoor is one of them, meaning it’s a very rare opportunity for visitors of the exhibition to experience Vantablack.
With Vantablack, Kapoor creates seemingly depthless voids and mysterious vertigos that you feel like pulling you in like a black hole.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Kapoor uses Vantablack in numerous other installations, such as his monumental velvety rock formation in another room and his dramatic tissue-like sculptures that look like tribal ritual sacrifices.
Distorted Mirrors
Photo: Urban Adventurer
There are mirrored steelworks scattered on the walls and outside the terraces to trick your mind.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
They bend and twist the reflections of their surroundings, opening new, distorted dimensions.
Velvety Red Rock Formation
Photo: Urban Adventurer
A giant red rock formation takes up an entire exhibition room. It’s painted in Kapoor’s signature red, and it’s influenced by interesting rock formations Kapoor visited during his travels, including Uluru and the sandstone monolith in central Australia.
This artwork with a Vantablack piece in its centre suggests an otherworldly, mysterious landscape.
Upside Down Mountain
Photo: Urban Adventurer
A vast mountain is floating just inches above the ground surrounded with – what they look like – giant chopped meat chunks wrapped in transparent plastic foil.
This installation is hovering between the edge of wander and horror.
The title of the artwork is ‘Mount Moriah’ which in the Old Testament is described as the place where God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.
About Sir Anish Kapoor
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Sir Anish Kapoor is one of the most influential artists today. He is known for his monumental public sculptures and mind-bending illusions.
One of his most famous works is the Cloud Gate (2006) or ‘The Bean’ located in the Millennium Park in Chicago. It’s a vast stainless steel sculpture that reflects its surroundings back like a giant mirror.
Another one is the famous 114.5-metre tall ArcelorMittal Orbit in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park commissioned as a landmark and legacy piece for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Anish Kapoor’s Signature Red
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Kapoor often uses his signature red in his works. Red is a colour infused with emotion and ceremonial associations.
He says: “This open and visually beckoning colour also associates itself with a dark interior world. I try to make a condition of colour, not a painted surface. I want to make something that’s red in such a way that its redness occupies the whole space of your vision.”
Ready for your next adventure? If you love mind-bending illustrations and immersive rooms, M.C. Escher – The Exhibitionis now open at Somerset House. Book with Fever and use code ADVENTURERLDN10 to get 10% OFF!
Embark on a journey beneath the waves of the Jurassic oceans and meet the fiercest marine reptiles ever lived. Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep at Natural History Museum dives deep into the lives of prehistoric giants once ruled the oceans.
[BLOG POST IN BIO] 𝙅𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙊𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨: 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥 at the Natural History Museum 🌊 @Natural History Museum London Embark on a journey beneath the waves of the Jurassic oceans and meet the fiercest marine reptiles ever lived 🌊🦈 What to expect: • Touch REAL dinosaur fossils, including a Mosasaur tooth, a Baryonyx claw and dinosaur poo • Full dinosaur skeletons, including a full size Plesiosaur • Learn more about how palaeontologists get information from fossils regarding a dinosaur’s speed, eyesight and colour • Interactive panels …and more! 📍Where Natural History Museum | Cromwell Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD (Nearest station is South Kensington station and Gloucester Road station | Piccadilly, Circle & District lines) 🗓️ When 22nd May 2026 – 3rd January 2027 🕰️ Opening times Entry from 10am – 4:30pm daily 🎟️ Tickets Adult off-peak: £15 Adult peak: £17.50 Child (4-17 years) off-peak: £7.50 Child (4-17 years) peak: £8.75 #dinosaurs#paleontology#fossils#naturalhistorymuseum#dino
When we hear Jurassic Period, we can list a number of dinosaurs that once roamed the lands. But what about the oceans?
Natural History Museum’s new exhibition, Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep, invites kids and adults for a fearless underwater journey to explore gigantic gnarly toothed predators.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Meet the Mosasaur you probably remember from Jurassic Park Rebirth (2025), also known as the T. Rex of the sea.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
There is an entire section dedicated to sharks, including the greatest shark ever swum in the oceans, the Megalodon. This monster was three times bigger than a Great White Shark and could open its jaw to 2.5 metres wide.
What’s the Connection Between Jurassic Predators and Pokémons?
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Plesiosaur was a long-necked dinosaur with four flippers that Pokémon fans might recognise as Lapras, the water/ice Pokémon.
It’s an interesting fact that although Plesiosaur was a very successful predator that survived long after the end of the Jurassic Period, its body plan hasn’t evolved in any other animal.
Did you know that there is a dinosaur named after a Pokémon?
We’ve seen lots of beasts that inspired fictional monsters, but is there any real-life species actually named after a fictional character? The answer is yes! Aerodactylus is named after the well-known purple Pokémon, Aerodactyl.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
There is a video recreating an underwater attack, skeletons and fossils and even a model of an Ichthyosaur brain moulded (the blue area in the picture above) from the fossil of a skull.
This is how an Ichthyosaur would have looked like
Photo: Urban Adventurer
It’s mind-blowing how much information palaeontologists can get from simply creating a mould of the inside of a dinosaur skull! From that brain mould, we know that Ichthyosaur was fast and had very good eyesight and smell.
Other fossils show that Ichthyosaur haunted in groups and would have camouflaged well in the water.
Touch a Real Mosasaur Tooth and Hold Fossil Dinosaur Poo
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep brings you close to prehistoric beasts as you can ever get.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
You have the rare opportunity to touch a REAL Mosasaur tooth, a full Plesiosaur skeleton fossil, hold fossil dinosaur poo (yes, that’s real poo!) and feel what shark’s skin feels like.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Touch a Baryonyx claw, one of the most massive predators ever walked on Earth and rate the deadliest creatures ever ruled the oceans with a ‘fierce factor’.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Run your fingers on the teeth of an Ichthyosaur skull and learn why their eye sockets were covered with bone.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Want to know how big Plesiosaur really was? Measure yourself up against one and feel how its prey would have felt millions of years ago (and whisper a thank you these creatures are no longer lurking in the oceans).
The full skeleton of a full-grown Plesiosaur is on display. This is the exact skeleton high-school student, Tadashi Suzuki found in Japan in 1968 in a riverbank near his home.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep is more than just an exhibition with fossils and skeletons. It’s a real educational adventure where kids (and adults) can learn something new without even realising it.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Guided audio tour, interactive displays, informative signages and breath-taking displays give visitors an insight into the lives of the creatures lived millions of years ago and how palaeontologists know the dinosaurs’ hunting patterns, diet, eyesight, and even their colours.
It’s a truly hands-on experience designed the way both kids and adults enjoy.
Ready for your next adventure? Hidden medieval museum in London. The Museum of the Order of St John tells the story of an ancient organisation established by knights that exists and operates even today under the same logo.
[BLOG POST IN BIO] Japan House’s first photography exhibition is opening on the 3rd June! 📸 One of Asia’s most significant photography festivals, Kyotographie International Photography Festival is presenting its first UK project in collaboration with Japan House London @Kyotographie Come with me to the Press Preview and be among the first to get a glimpse of the exhibition 👀 📍Where Japan House London | 101-111 Kensington High St, London W8 5SA (Nearest station is Hight Street Kensington station) 🗓️ When 3rd June – 18th October 2026 🕰️ Opening times Mon – Sat: 10am – 8pm Sun & Bank holidays: 12pm – 6pm 🎟️ Tickets Admission is FREE but booking a time slot is recommended #invite#japanhouse#photoexhibition#photographyexhibition#photographers
Kyotographie was founded in 2013 and quickly became one of the most significant photography events in Asia. The festival is hosted at different historical venues each year in Kyoto and welcomed over 300,000 visitors in 2025.
Organised in partnership with Kyotographie, ‘Kyotographie: Kawada Kikuji x Iwane Ai’ is the first ever photography exhibition at Japan House London.
About the Photographers: Kawada Kikuji and Iwane Ai
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Post-war pioneer Kawada Kikuji and founding member of the influential VIVO collective and contemporary photographer Iwane Ai are now exhibiting together for the first time.
The two photographers are linked together by having been featured in the international photography festival, Kyotographie in 2022 and 2024.
About Kawada Kikuji
“Light and shadow are set apart, stirring complex emotions as they perform photogenic somersaults over and over again. As shadows continue to transform within colour, traces of that time suggest the obsessions of lives yet to come.” – Kawada Kikuji
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Born in 1933, Kawada Kikuji is one of Japan’s most celebrated post-war photographers.
He is best known for his iconic book published in 1965, ‘The Map’ (Chizu in Japanese), a disquieting exploration of the trauma on WWII. The book features photos of stains burnt into the walls of Hirashima’s A-Bomb Dome. Stains of human bodies that literally evaporated when the atomic bomb exploded over the city.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The book also contains images of the American occupation.
Kawada Kikuji was one of the founding members of the VIVO collective, an influential movement to push the boundaries of traditional photography and create a new visual language that reflects the changing social and cultural landscape.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The movement was influenced by surrealism and the American ‘New Vision’ style of photography.
Photographers often used double exposures and layer images that we also see in Kawada Kikuji’s works.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Japan House London’s new exhibition also features works from ‘Last Cosmology’ (1969 – 2000) that captures celestial phenomena, such as solar eclipses, cloud formations and other cosmic marvels.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Kawada Kikuji (93) has been active for eight decades and actively posts his recent works on social mediatoday.
About Iwane Ai
Iwane Ai (middle) at the Press Preview of Kyotographie: Kawada Kikuji x Iwane Ai at Japan House London
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Born in 1975, Iwane Ai is a contemporary photographer exploring migration, memory and cultural identity across borders.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
She started her career in 1996 focusing on music related works and magazines before her attention shifted to the culture of Japanese people in Hawaii.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Her award-winning series ‘Kipuka’ (2018) documents the lives of Japanese communities in Hawaii with ancestral ties to Fukushima.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Japan House London’s new exhibition is also featuring works from ‘A New River’ (2020) series that captures otherworldly nocturnal cherry blossom scenes in Japan’s northeastern Tōhoku region, inhabited with well-known figures from Japanese folklore.
Ready for your next adventure? There is secret Japanese café in London where you can get Totoro and Miffy-shaped pastry (available from Friday to Monday from 1pm) and read manga. Welcome to Mitsuba, a cute, relaxing sanctuary for the lovers of all things Japanese.
This half-term step into a flower field of your imagination! Highly skilled theatre prop maker, Anna Bruder invites you to her special 2D black and white flower shop, ‘A Line Florist’at Battersea Power Station.
2D flower shop pop-up at @Battersea Power Station 𝖠 𝖫𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖥𝗅𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗍 by Anna Bruder is a fun, family-friendly pop-up for this half-term 🌼 Step into a 2D monochrome flower shop where each flower is hand-drawn by the artist. Pick your favourite bloom and head to the colouring station to add some personality 🌈✨ There are 8 different designs available and your tickets includes one flower of your choice 🌹 🗓️ 23 – 31 May 2026 🎟️ Tickets are £10 and include a flowers of your choice #popup#londonpopup#2d#flowers#halfterm
After a sold-out run at The Museum of Modern Art in New York in February, A Line Florist has landed at Battersea Power Station for the May half term.
A Line Florist isn’t a typical flower shop. All flowers are hand-drawn featuring bold black marker outline in Anna Bruder’s signature style.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Wander through a 2D black and white blooming wonderland and pick a Daisy, Rose or Lily hand-drawn by the artist.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Each ticket includes a flower of your choice and the opportunity to colour it on the spot.
How it works?
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Upon arrival, each guest receives a token that they can exchange for their favourite bloom. Once you’ve got your flower, feel free to take a seat at one of the workshop tables and add it some nice colours and personality.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
There are plenty of photo opportunities to capture the perfect moment with your flower. Take a selfie in front of the monochrome flower shelves or Anna’s unique murals.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
A unique gift for a loved one or a lovely keepsake for yourself. It’s a flower that lasts forever.
About Anna Bruder
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Anna Bruder is a London-based artist and the founder of A Line Art. She graduated at Central Saint Martins in 2004. She is a talented theatre prop maker who worked for West End musicals and designed and constructed breath-taking sets for The Young Vic, Sadler Wells, and The Southbank Centre.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Since 2011, she has been pursuing her unique design concept and established A Line Art specialising in crafting interactive events and family-friendly musical theatre shows.
A Line Florist is now at Battersea Power Station from 23rd – 31st May.
Tickets are £10 (both kids and adults need ticket) and can be booked on Eventbrite.
A Line Florist – 48-Hour Online Pop-Up Shop
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Anna Bruder is opening an online pop-up shop this June to celebrate the success at the Museum of Art in New York City and Battersea Power Station, London.
The shop is open for 48 hours only, selling extremely limited stock.
From 1pm 13th June to 10pm 14th June, you can buy 8 exclusive flower designs, 50 flowers of each design will be available.
The orders will be limited to up to 8 flowers per person, so you can order the whole set if you wish.
You will also have the chance to buy an exclusive colouring pack. The pack includes 3 of Anna’s favourite flower designs and a colouring set. Only 20 colouring pack will be available.
Make sure you bookmark alineart.co.uk because the pop-up will appear on that website at 1pm on the 13th June.
Ready for your next adventure? Fun day out idea for this half-term. Paradox Museum is known for its mind-blowing illusions, super Instagrammable spaces and for being one of the most popular family attractions in London.
[MORE INFO IN BIO] Hidden Medieval Museum in London – Museum of the Order of St John 🏰⚔️ We’ve all heard of St John Ambulance. But did you know that it’s actually an ancient organisation that was established in the 11th century? The museum tells the story of that ancient military Order and how it became an international first aid charity ⛑️ • The museum is free to visit. No booking required. • You have to book a private tour (£15pp), however, to visit the crypt, the Priory Church, the Council Chamber and the Grand Chapel Hall 🏰 The beautiful Cloister Garden is open to the public 🌼🌳 📍Where St John’s Gate, 26 St John’s Ln, London EC1M 4DA (Nearest station is Farringdon) 🕰️ Opening times Mon, Tue, & Sun: CLOSED Wed – Sat: 9:30am – 5pm #hiddengems#hiddengemslondon#medievaltok#londonmuseum#knights
The Museum of the Order of St John tells the story of an ancient military Order from its origins when they cared for sick pilgrims and how it became an international first aid charity.
The museum has two parts: the gatehouse and the chapel. Visiting the gatehouse is completely free and no booking required. You can simply walk in from the street and visit the exhibition.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
You can only visit the chapel, however, if you book a guided tour which run twice a day three time a week.
The gatehouse museum’s unique collection guides you through the story of the Order from its beginning to the modern day St John Ambulance.
By 1080 a hospital was established by monks in Jerusalem under the guidance of Brotherhood Gerard. The purpose of the hospital was to care for travellers and pilgrims fallen ill during their travel regardless their religion, race or social status. The group of men and women volunteers were known as ‘hospitallers’.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The story of the Order is interwoven with many historical characters, including Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Suleiman the Magnificent, Willam Shakespeare, Willam Hogarth and Dr Samuel Johnson.
A collection of medieval artefacts is on display, including intricately decorated armours, model ships, maps, ancient coins, apothecary, silverware, and medical instruments used by the members of the Order as well as ceremonial wear.
Guided Tours to Visit the Priory Church, the Crypt and the Historic Rooms in St John’s Gate
St John Priory Church
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Follow the footsteps of knight-monks, politicians, philanthropists and even William Shakespeare himself on the guided tour that discovers the many lives of St John’s Gate.
Council Chamber
Photo: Urban Adventurer
TIP: There are a number of different guided tours available. We recommend the ‘Knights, Revellers & Saviours: The Many Lives of St John’s Gate’ as it includes the Priory Church, the crypt and the historic rooms in St John’s Gate. The tour will last 60 minutes and it costs £15pp.
If you go for a guided tour, you have the rare opportunity to literally walk in the footsteps of Willam Shakespeare.
That spiral wooden staircase is the oldest Tudor staircase in London on which Shakespeare walked up to get his plays approved by the Master of the Revels.
Grand Chapel Hall
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Marvel at the beautiful architecture of the Grand Chapter Hall where numerous Royal portraits line on the walls, indicating Royal patronage throughout the centuries.
St John Priory Church
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The Church’s Priory gallery features an exhibition that let visitors get a glimpse into how life was in a medieval priory.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The Church’s Cloister Garden today provides a tranquil place to the members of the public. In the medieval times, however, it functioned as a medicinal garden where the most different herbs would have been cultivated by Knights Hospitallers to cure illnesses.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
St John’s Gate and the Norman crypt have seen many turmoils throughout the centuries. It survived the odds of the history because the building served various purposes. It served as the English headquarters of the Order in the 12th century, an office of the Master of the Revels during the 16th century (thirty of Shakespeare’s plays were licensed here!), it was also a coffee house run by Richard Hogarth, father of artist William Hogarth and even used as a pub in the 18th century.
When it was a pub, it was called The Old Jerusalem pub and welcomed such visitors like Charles Dickens.
The modern Order of St John in England was granted by Queen Victoria in 1888. The modern Order recognised the need of First Aid and ambulance transport services as no such system existed in the newly industrialised England.
The Iconic Eight Pointed Star
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The white eight-pointed cross on a black background, the symbol of the Order, remained completely unaltered over the centuries.
Today it’s known as the logo of St John Ambulance, but it was also worn on the robes of the first Brother Knights in the hospital in Jerusalem in the 11th century.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
You can also see it on the floor inside the chapel. Black and white is also the colour of the Order’s uniform and you can also see black and white tiles covering the chapel’s floor.
The Crypt
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Under the black and white chapel, there is the crypt with beautiful arches and stained glass windows.
Make sure you spend a few quiet minutes here and absorb the history around you.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The crypt contains a 16th century tomb effigy believed to be Castilian Knight Hospitaller, named Don Juan de Vergara.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The stunning stain glasses above the chapel depict St John the Baptist, John Aimoner, St George, Andrew, Patrick and David as well as other knights and priors.
The Order of St John Today
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Today the Order of John is an international charity, providing first aid and healthcare services in over 40 countries.
It has over 25,000 members and 200,000 volunteers around the globe and volunteers from the rural Africa and to areas impacted by natural disasters in Asia.
How to become a volunteer or support the Order:
Want to become a volunteer or support the Order of St John? Click here to see how you can do that.
Venue Hire
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The historic buildings of the Priory Church, the galleries, the crypt and the garden are all available to hire for private events.
If you’re planning a medieval-themed wedding, looking for a hidden jewel for your next conference, lecture, or dinner, the historic rooms and the beautiful garden overflown with flowers during spring and summer are ideal places to celebrate, or host special events your guest will remember.
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To discover all the available venues, rooms and spaces and learn all the details on how to hire them, click here.
The gatehouse is free to visit. No booking required.
However, you do need to book a ticket for a guided tour to visit the Priory Church, the crypt and the historic rooms in St John’s Gate.
Tickets are £15 or £11.25 with a valid Art Pass or Blue Light Card
If you’re an Islington resident, you can visit any public guided tours for only £1!
Ready for your next adventure? Dating back to 1144, The Clink Prison Museum is one of the oldest prisons in England. Enter through the original site and descend to the dark side of history.
Do you believe your brain or your senses? Step into a world where nothing makes sense, yet everything feels real. Paradox Museum is located just a stone throw away from Knightsbridge station and is designed to challenge your perceptions while having great fun.
Unlike many other museums, Paradox Museum actively encourages kids and grown-ups alike to touch, climb and jump.
Known for its mind-bending illusions and super Instagrammable spaces, Paradox Museum quickly became one of the most popular family-friendly attractions in London following its opening in 2024.
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There are over 50 immersive spaces to enjoy, including a Zero Gravity Room where you can pretend, you’re a crew member of Artemis II.
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Don an invisible cloak and dissolve into the walls just like Harry Potter, sit on a sofa that ‘cuts you into half’, serve your own head on a plate at a dining table, sit on a giant chair which isn’t really a chair and try to walk straight in the spinning Paradox Tunnel.
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Go upside down in the Paradox Underground and step into a mind-blowing neon paradise.
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There’s a mirror maze and lots of brain-teasing interactive elements. If you’re a curious mind, make sure you scan the QR codes provided at each attraction and learn the science behind the fun!
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Tons of Insta-worthy moments and lots of laughter guaranteed!
Solve Challenges and Receive a Gift from the Gift Shop
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Form teams, pick a side (‘Team Brain’ or ‘Team Eyes’), complete missions, solve riddles and win a prize from the gift shop.
Great fun with kids, plus little ones learn a lot about physics, optical illusions and how the human brain works while having a lot of fun!
You can join the challenge if you choose the VIP package which includes flexi entry on your chosen day, a goodie bag full of fun puzzles, entry to the Zero Gravity Room and your activity sheet.
The Ultimate Kids Birthday Party Venue
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Do you have a little one with birthday coming up?
Paradox Museum’s party room, The Dragon’s Nest is here to host the ultimate birthday party little ones will remember.
Choose a package with food and drink (including the birthday cake) or bring your own and enjoy unlimited access to the museum’s attractions, try face painting, get a balloon animal from a balloon artist and enjoy the mind-blowing tricks of a magician.
Use discount code: ADVENTURERLDN10 to get 10% OFF!
TIP:Choose the VIP Package to get flexible entry on your selected date, a fun Paradox Bundle and entry to the Zero Gravity Room, plus a fun activity sheet you can do with the kids.
Ready for your next adventure? Looking for more family friendly activities? Ride on London’s secret underground mini train: the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum. Enjoy a very entertaining ride while learning how people relied on the postal service before the emails and the Internet and visit the Postal Museum’s interactive permanent exhibition.
New interactive family-friendly experience opened at the National Maritime Museum Greenwich. ‘Astronomers Take Over’gives visitors a rare chance to meet real astronomers, ask their questions, see mind-blowing demonstrations and experience how the Universe really is.
[BLOG POST IN BIO] Astronomers Take Over at the National Maritime Museum Greenwich 🚀🪐✨🧑🏻🚀 ‘Astronomers Take Over’ gives visitors a rare chance to meet real astronomers, ask their questions, see mind-blowing demonstrations and experience how the Universe really is 🪐✨ What to expect: • Galaxy room: It’s a gorgeous infinity room. Perfect for that Instagram moment! • A giant telescope installation you can step inside • Scavenger hunt for kids • Star Huddle: Learn what it really means when we say we are all made of stardust • Moon room • Astronomers Lounge • Lots of interactive elements kids will love + Planetarium experience (that’s extra charge) 📍 Where National Maritime Museum Greenwich | 9NF Romney Rd, London SE10 🗓️ When 27th March – 29th June 2026 🎟️ Tickets Astronomers Take Over + Planetarium ticket: £16 Astronomers Take Over (without Planetarium show): £8 #astronomerstakeover#astronomer#spacethings#familytimefun#familydayout
‘Astronomers Take Over’ opened on the 27th March and is a temporary gallery offering playful hands-on experience for anyone interested in space and astronomy.
Here are the highlights of the experience:
Galaxy Box
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Galaxy Box is an awe-inspiring infinity room designed with Sir Brian May and visual artist and astrophotographer, J-P Metsävainio for visitors to experience how vast and beautiful the Universe really is.
Perfect for that Instagram moment!
Telescope
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Step inside a giant telescope and learn more about major space discoveries through the past 350 years connected to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Telescope is designed to inspire the next generation of astronomers who could be you!
Cosmic Quest
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Kids will love this very interactive experience where they are invited for a scavenger hunt.
The mission is to find weird hidden objects astronomers have taken into space. Think of a gorilla suit, Luke Skywalker’s light sabre and an espresso machine.
Star Huddle
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What does it really mean when we say we are all made of stardust?
Meet the Royal Observatory’s Head of Astronomy, Liz Avery and the team and take a closer look to the stars using a spectroscope.
Moon Room
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You’ve probably seen the out-of-this-world images of the dark side of the Moon; the crew of the Artemis II mission had taken.
In the Moon Room, you can learn more about how our planet and the Moon move and dance around each other through space.
Land a Mars Rover at a Martian Crater
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Join Professor Sanjeev Gupta and his team and work together on some of the humankind’s most amazing space missions.
Did you know that Mars rovers are operated from the Earth and you can even do that from a kitchen at home?
Well, here’s your chance to operate a Mars rover and try to land it at a Martian crater.
Astronomers’ Lounge
Are you following the Artemis II mission? Fascinated by the newest space discoveries?
Pull up your chair and discuss the latest space news with the Royal Observatory’s astronomy team. Here’s your chance to get your questions answered by real astronomers.
Planetarium Experience
Why not add a Planetarium experience to your ticket and enjoy a 30-minute awe-inspiring show about our solar system or an adorable film about ‘Animals in Space!’ perfect for younger visitors?
Coming Soon: Mirror Moon by Luke Jerram
Celebrating 350 years of studying the Moon, a giant Mirror Moon will arrive at the Royal Observatory this May.
The Mirror Moon is a 2m in diameter scale model of our Moon, designed and created by British artist, Luke Jerram, famous for his large scale art projects (Gaia, Mars, Sun, Moon).
Mirror Moon is a touchable installation created using highly accurate topographical NASA data of the lunar surface.
Feel free to run your fingers on craters, valleys, mountains and million years old lava fields.
How to visit Luke Jerram’s Mirror Moon?
Simply book a ticket to the Royal Observatory online. Your ticket includes the visit of the Mirror Moon.
NOTE:Astronomers Take Over is closed on most Tuesdays and Fridays.
It’s open on all other days from 10am – 5pm
Tickets
Book your ticket on the Royal Museums of Greenwich’s official website.
Astronomers Take Over + Planetarium ticket: £16
Astronomers Take Over (without Planetarium show): £8
Ready for your next adventure? Fairy Tales exhibition at the British Library. This magical exhibition is full of interactive elements kids will love. It explores the origins of fairy tales and how the stories have changed over time. Visit a gingerbread house, sit with the Three Bears, smell portions, look into a magic mirror and make a wish from Aladdin’s Genie.
Did you know that London has a secret underground mail rail and you can actually ride it? Mail Rail is 70ft (21m) under the ground and it transported letters across London for 75 years.
Did you know that London has a secret underground mail rail and you can actually ride it? 🚂📮@The Postal Museum Mail Rail is 70ft (21m) under the ground and it transported letters across London for 75 years 💌 It closed in 2003 and re-opened to the public as a visitor attraction in 2017. 💡As the Mail Rail is a popular attraction, we collected some tips to make the most out of your experience and avoid the crowd and school groups 🔗 LINK IN BIO #mailrail#postalmuseum#dayoutwiththekids#kidsactivities#hiddengem
Explore a hidden railway that once transported millions of letters across London every day.
The Mail Rail was originally established in 1927 to transport mail beneath London for a smoother and quicker service. It was operating for 75 years and moved 4 million letters daily. The tunnels closed in 2003 but opened to the public as a visitor attraction on the 4th September 2017.
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Today you can actually ride on the mini trains and discover the tunnels and platforms once people relied on to deliver their letters before the emails and Internet.
As the Mail Rail is a popular attraction, here are some tips to make the most out of your experience and avoid the crowd and school groups:
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A standard ticket to the Postal Museum gives you unlimited access to the museum’s permanent exhibition for a full year! Plus, one ride on the Mail Rail.
NOTE: The Mail Rail and the Postal Museum exhibitions are in two separate buildings on Phoenix Place. The buildings are just one 1-minute walk from one another connected by a zebra crossing.
2. Do the Mail Rail ride first and visit the exhibition in the other building later, so you’ll have enough time to see everything.
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3. During your Mail Rail ride, the train will regularly stop at stations where you can see projections on the tunnel walls. Sit in the middle of the train for the best view and use a sideway-facing seat if you can.
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4. Be prepared for having to leave you bag in a locker before boarding. There’s not much space on the mini train, so the staff will ask you to leave your bag (regardless of its size) in the locker. Don’t worry, your belongings are safe! The staff will lock the locker and members of staff are always right next to the locker to keep an eye on everything while you’re enjoying your ride.
5. Make sure you visit the Mail Rail exhibition after your ride. It’s in the same building and contains a lot of interactive elements kids will enjoy, including the moving travelling post office where they can race against the clock to sort mail and a full control panel where they experience what it takes to keep a 10km of line running.
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6. After your ride on the Mail Rail and visiting the Mail Rail exhibition, walk to The Postal Museum’s other building to visit their permanent exhibition. Remember, your ticket gives you access to the exhibition for a whole year, so if you don’t have time to do it today, you can come back any time for 12 months from the purchase of your ticket.
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7. Try all the fun, interactive panels and elements during your exhibition journey. You can write a secret message to a friend and sent it through the pneumatic mail system. You can also try on replica uniforms from the Post Masters wardrobe.
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8. Make sure you stop by at the museum café before leaving for a coffee and a sandwich or a cake and have a look around the shop because there are lots of exclusive gift ideas for kids and adults alike.
Mail Rail Venue Hire
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Did you know that you can even hire the Mail Rail venue for your events?
If you’re looking for a truly unique space for your next corporate event, award ceremony, product launch or presentation, look no further!
What could be more unique than the 100-year-old Mail Rail tunnels that served for over 75 years and was the world’s first driverless electric railway?
Your ticket gives you access to the museum’s permanent exhibition for a whole year and one ride on the Mail Rail.
Ready for your next adventure? The Chimney Experience at Battersea Power Stationgives you an epic view of London from 109 metres high. Complement your experience with a glass of themed cocktail and enjoy the interactive exhibition while waiting for your session to start.
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