Alexander Fleming Museum — Attraction in London

An amazing step back in time to a huge scientific discovery. The lab itself was very well kept and fascinating to see. I got to chat with Sia, a volunteer there and found her extremely friendly and knowledgeable.

A few downsides: it was almost impossible to find. The address listed online was only for the hospital itself and the maps at the hospital just said "Entrance via Norfolk Place" which was very confusing. As the building was under construction, the tiny door was hidden behind scaffolding and white tarps, so it was very easy to walk past. Also due to construction, I was unable to enter the main lobby of the Camden building to ask for directions. More than once I ended up on an active hospital ward looking for the entrance despite asking multiple people for directions. The museum itself is separated between 3 floors, plus an additional flight of stairs between the locked entrance door and the museum gift shop. The door is also extremely hard to open, especially from the inside once unlocked and requires a pretty heavy shove. I know that old buildings are not always able to be very accessible but this is a note for anyone interested in visiting with mobility issues. The museum is also desperately in need of more volunteers or staff. From what I understood, when I went the Head of the Museum was giving a more private tour/interview, leaving the single staff member to juggle between the floors. Although the museum did not have an excessive number of guests all at once, visitors must be buzzed in via the phone on the first floor, then let into the lab on the second floor for the tour (which is to be locked when no staff member is present), then led upstairs to watch a video presentation and view a small museum exhibition room. The one volunteer had to juggle multiple small groups of 1-3 people between various floors, buzzing them in and out of the building, managing the small gift shop, letting people into the lab and giving the presentation on the lab and it's history, then bringing guests upstairs and starting the video for them. As each portion is on a different floor, I personally saw the employee having to run between floors to juggle multiple small groups. The current process is extremely inefficient and should be reevaluated, especially when experiencing a volunteer shortage. (Also extremely minor but the film and exhibition room, though both extremely informative, felt extremely dated and could use a refresh. This however is the least impactful of the criticisms in my opinion.) Despite this, the museum itself was very well preserved and fascinating. Sia was very knowledgeable on the story of the lab and Flemming's contribution to science. I would gladly return next time I'm in London, and hope some of my constructive criticism is taken by management, or at least as a heads up to future guests visiting.

Please add clearer signage and additional volunteers to help people experience this piece of valuable...

it's a nice place to visit if you're interested in microbiology but don't expect too much. The place is kind of hidden and you need to buzz yourself in. During my visit there was only 2 guides who are just volunteers and definitely not very passionate about the topic (there's nothing wrong with that, they're very nice guides regardless, just not the kind of spark you'd expect from such a niche museum) but are very kind and sweet. There's a lot of stairs, not really accessible. The first display is the lab which you can't take pictures of, I felt there was not enough time to look at every instrument if you wanted to and it felt (to me) a bit rushed. The second display is a 10 minute old informational movie about the history of penicillin mostly and a room with all that info written down. Not a lot of very specific scientific stuff so if you expect that, you'll be disappointed. There's also a small museum shop with almost nothing relating to penicillin of Fleming besides one postcard. So yeah, just set your expectations right and it's a nice...

The Alexander Fleming Museum near Paddington is a hidden gem that offers a fascinating glimpse into one of the most important medical discoveries of the 20th century. Though small in size, the museum is packed with history and significance. It’s free to visit, which is a great bonus, and provides a unique opportunity to step into the very laboratory where Fleming discovered penicillin.

In addition to the lab, there are two other rooms to explore, including one with a video that explains the story behind this groundbreaking discovery. The content is concise yet informative, making it accessible to all visitors.

The staff here are incredibly friendly and welcoming—special thanks to Kim for making the experience even more enjoyable. If you’re in the area and interested in history or science, this museum is definitely worth a...