5 Unusual Museums in London

Keeping your family entertained can be a full time job. No sooner than you send your beloved parasite children off to school they are back again for half term. Yes you could start an elaborate parachute accident or you could plan a fun day in London.

The London Eye is too expensive and only lasts twenty minutes if you ignore the queue. What to do?! Well, you can expand your knowledge, and that of your children, shelter from the cold, pick-up a strange souvenir at the OAP's and children too young to know better's Disney Land... London museums.

Did we mention a lot of the museums are normally free?

Pad out the museum trip with a walk around the shops and a Nandos and you will be free again.For a family day out that is cheaper than expensive lawyers you can have your pick of museums as most people go to the cinema.

So here we are with our picks for the best unusual museums in London to spend some time at.

The Type Museum

The printing press was arguable the most important and transformative invention in human history. It was almost single handily responsible for the spread of knowledge and education to the masses. The Type Museum, located in south London, celebrates the art of the printed word and his home to type faces dating back to the 1600s. If you are interested in learning more about type faces and printing this will be an interesting museum for you.

Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum

A Victorian innovation that enabled London to become the hustling, bustling metropolis it is today is the sewage system. The museum located in a former Victorian era sewage pumphouse the museum is like a gateway to a bygone era. Not a glamorous topic for a museum but fascinating for those enthusiastic about Victorian Britain.

Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising

Branding, packaging and advertising contribute to our life choices more than any of us may like to admit. As consumerism has taken over society the messages have only become more sophisticated and powerful. The museum, located in Notting Hill, celebrates the imagery of iconic brands making it both nostalgic and inspiring. You can discover how well loved brands and the techniques of and branding  have evolved between the Victorian era to the present day.

Freud Museum London

The museum is in the former home of Sigmund Freud. It offers a fascinating insight in to the life of the famous neurologist. The star exhibits in the museum are Freud's psychoanalytic couch; his writing desk; and a portrait of Freud by Salvador Dalí. There are frequent conferences and seminars which would also be of interest to those studying psychology or Freud.

The Fan Museum

The Fan Museum, which opened in 1991, is the world's first museum dedicated to the preservation and display of hand fans - no we weren't surprised to hear it was the first either. With more than 4000 fans, some dating back to the 10th century it is the perfect location to spend some time for those folks with fan fetishes. It is located in Greenwich close to the Cutty Sark and the Greenwich observatory.

If you are interested in finding out about other tourist attractions and things to do in London take a look at our London guide and London blog for inspiration. We have lot's of ideas for you and it's all free unlike almost everything else related to London.