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The Atlas Obscura Guide To London

474 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in London, England

Updated September 21, 2023

Layers and layers of history are the hallmark of London, and you never know what amazing stories are hiding around each corner, from the buried remains of a street visible through a sewer grate to the actual painting that produced Monty Pythonʼs iconic squishing foot.

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Unusual Attractions in London

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in London

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Hidden Trafalgar Square

Wedged between Charing Cross and Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square is known for the throngs of people flocking to its famous attractions. Weave around the tourists on the National Gallery stairs and dodge the crowds clogging the street corners. Instead, duck down dreamy alleys and pop into unique, overlooked museums and shops. There, a secret side of this busy area waits to reveal itself.

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Explore London, England

History 55
Museums And Collections 53
Art 46
Statues 39
Animals 35
History & Culture 33
Collections 29
Architectural Oddities 29

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Stories About London

Podcast: The Complaint Tablet of Ea-Nasir

Turns out, beefing about bad service really is as old as time.
by The Podcast Team
Guy Fawkes is the most notorious member of England’s 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a Catholic conspiracy to blow up Westminster Palace and assassinate Protestant King James I.

How a Threadbare 'Bag of Secrets' Led to Guy Fawkes's Gruesome Execution

The documents that convicted the infamous traitor were all kept in this unassuming leather pouch.
by Kavitha Rao

Podcast: Freud Museum London

Lie back on what might be the world's most famous psychoanalytic couch.
by The Podcast Team

Podcast: The Mail Rail

Beneath the streets of London, a secret subway for snail mail.
by The Podcast Team

Was This King Charles I’s Death Vest?

It is said the English monarch wore the sleeved waistcoat at his public execution in 1649.
by April White
Us surface dwellers don't usually have to think about what lurks below—even when we're responsible for it.

Descend Into the Sewers With London’s Fatberg-Busters

What can we learn from wipes, oils, and fats when they overwhelm the arteries of the modern world?
by Jessica Leigh Hester

Podcast: Brown Dog Statue

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
A luminous jelly.

Meet the Duo Molding the Weird, Wondrous Future of Jelly

From disturbingly realistic gelatin portraits to a jiggling Buckingham Palace, Bompas & Parr are pushing the wobbly envelope.
by Diana Hubbell

Lists Featuring London

Charles Goodwyn, Keeper of the Royal Philatelic Collection, with copies of world's first stamp
Lock & Co.
Plaque marking the Texan Embassy
The Lioness and the Lesser Kudu.

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near Buckingham Palace for Curious Travelers

11

Including The Royal Philatelic Collection, Lock & Co. , and The Embassy of the Republic of Texas

Gods Own Junkyard
The central interior of Leadenhall Market

London's Top 8 Wonders in 2018

The strange and unusual places Atlas Obscura readers wanted to visit most in “The Old Smoke” in 2018.

8

Including The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History, God's Own Junkyard, and Leadenhall Market

The House of the Temple.
Statue of George Washington

Novus Ordo Seclorum: 14 Places to Unearth Masonic Secrets

Your best bets for gaining insight into the real history of Freemasonry.

14

Including Zedekiah's Cave, Masonic Lodge of the Andaz Hotel, and House of the Temple

The Paddington Bear statue at Paddington station.
The Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park.
Mrs Mallard and her entire brood.
Dr Seuss, Cat in the Hat, and a book with lines from Oh The Places You'll Go.

9 Favorite Children's Book Characters, Immortalized in Bronze

Visit Paddington Bear, Ramona Quimby, and other childhood heroes in person.

9

Including Paddington Bear Statue , Alice in Wonderland Statue, and Make Way for Ducklings Statue

William Blake's headstone.

Historic Cemeteries in London

Fascinating old graveyards to visit in the English capital.

13

Including Highgate Cemetery, Bunhill Fields, and Nunhead Cemetery

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem0115 947 3171
The Star Tavern
The Eagle is among the best-known pubs in Cambridge.
The recreated apartment.

The Best British Pubs to Get Drunk on History

A 14-stop bar tour through Great Britain's past.

14

Including Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, The Star Tavern, and The Eagle

Twinings tea shop on the Strand.
The Old Curiosity Shop
The Burlington Arcade Beadles
Lock & Co.

9 Cool Shops in London

Wonderfully unique stores to visit in the English capital.

9

Including Twinings Tea Shop, The Old Curiosity Shop, and The Burlington Arcade Beadles

The Paddington Bear statue at Paddington station.
The central interior of Leadenhall Market
221b, Baker Street
Peter Pan is the boy who never grows up.

A Storybook Tour of London's Literary Past

Page through England's capital city with Potter, Poppins, Paddington, and Pan.

11

Including Paddington Bear Statue , Leadenhall Market, and 221b Baker Street

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