If you’re searching for witch museum London, museum of witchcraft and magic London, or even London’s Museum of witchcraft and magic, here’s the truth: there isn’t a single, official “Museum of Witchcraft & Magic” permanently based in London. But the capital does brim with places to explore the history of witchcraft, ritual objects, occult art, and the overlap between magic London and medicine. This guide maps out the best London stops (plus two essential UK day trips) so your readers can save it and use it.
Is there a “Museum of Witchcraft & Magic” in London?
Not permanently. The world-famous Museum of Witchcraft and Magic is in Boscastle,Cornwall (open seasonally and often hosting special exhibitions). It has occasionally sent shows to London venues (notably to Viktor Wynd), but the collection’s home is the Cornish coast, so consider it a brilliant witch museums UK add-on to a London trip.
The Best Places in London for Witchcraft, Magic & Medicine
1) The Magic Circle Museum (Euston) — stage magic, secrets, and history
Tucked inside the Magic Circle’s HQ, this small museum opens only during public events (like “History & Mystery”). Book a show to get in; once inside you’ll find posters, props and stories of legendary magicians. For the keyword-inclined: this scratches the museum of magic and witchcraft London / museum witchcraft itch, through the lens of performance magic.
2) The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities (Hackney) — occult cabinets & oddities
This atmospheric basement “cabinet of curiosities” mixes taxidermy with magick & the occult, including a room dedicated to the artist-occultist Austin Osman Spare. Programming frequently tilts witchy (recent seasons have included “Occult London”). It’s your most witchcraft London-feeling venue in the city, perfect for readers searching witch museum London or witch museum UK vibes without leaving town.
3) London Museum (Docklands) — witch bottles & folk magic
For the witches history angle grounded in archaeology, look to the London Museum’s collections: 16th–17th century witch bottles, jugs filled with pins and other materials used as counter-curses, turn up in their “Objects & Stories.” It’s a crisp way to discuss the history of witches and everyday protective magic in witches in London England. (The main London Museum is during a move; Docklands is open with free entry.)
4) The Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret (London Bridge) — surgery meets herb lore
Europe’s oldest surviving operating theatre sits above an apothecary’s herb garret—a natural bridge between medicine museum London and folk remedies often labelled “witchcraft.” It’s wonderfully atmospheric (note the steep spiral staircase). Great for contextualising the history of witchcraft alongside pre-anaesthetic surgery and early pharmacy.
5) Science Museum: Medicine — The Wellcome Galleries (South Kensington)
If your readers search museum of medicine London, museum medicine London or London Museum medicine, point them here. The world’s largest medical galleries show how people have tried to heal, scientifically and spiritually, for 500 years. Use it to anchor conversations about charms, belief, and shifting lines between medicine and magic.
Where To Shop & Study: Witch Store London and Occult Libraries
- Treadwell’s Books (Bloomsbury) — London’s go-to esoteric bookshop with classes, author talks and tarot; a natural add-on for readers searching museum of witchcraft content plus a witch store London to visit.
- The Atlantis Bookshop (Museum Street) — trading since 1922 and steeped in British occult history (think Gerald Gardner). Great for browsing rare titles on the history of witches.
- The College of Psychic Studies (South Kensington) — historic venue with exhibitions, events and an occult-leaning library; good for a scholarly slant on witchcraft London.
Worth-The-Trip UK Highlights (For Witch Museums Uk / Witchcraft Museum England)
- The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic (Boscastle, Cornwall) — the UK’s flagship the museum of witchcraft and magic with 3,000+ objects spanning folk magic, ritual and contemporary practice. It’s the canonical museum of witchcraft UK/witchcraft museum and the one overseas reader usually mean when they search the museum of witchcraft.
- Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft (Edinburgh) — small, artifact-rich space on the Royal Mile; a strong alternative keyword target for museum of magic fortune telling and witchcraft while clarifying its Scotland, not London.
(About Essex witch museum: a new project is actively fundraising to create a dedicated museum; in the meantime, use Colchester Castle/Epping Forest museum content and local trails to cover witchcraft museum England stories from Essex.)
Suggested 1-Day “Witchcraft London” Itinerary
Morning: London Museum Docklands for witch bottles (free).
Lunch: Grab a sandwich, then walk the Southwark backstreets to…
Afternoon: Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret (book ahead; mind the steps).
Evening: Viktor Wynd Museum (open late on weekends) for occult cabinets and absinthe at the bar.
Alternative evening: Book a show at The Magic Circle to access the museum.
FAQs
Not permanently. London hosts pop-ups and related exhibits, but the dedicated UK museum is in Boscastle, Cornwall. For London, aim for Viktor Wynd, the Magic Circle, London Museum’s witch bottles, and the Old Operating Theatre.
Start with the London Museum’s object pages and stories on witch bottles; then layer in the Science Museum’s Medicine — The Wellcome Galleries to show how beliefs and cures evolved.
Boscastle’s Museum of Witchcraft and Magic (Cornwall) is the big one; Edinburgh’s Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft is excellent if you’re Scotland-bound.
Hit the Science Museum’s Medicine galleries; for surgical history with herb lore, the Old Operating Theatre is unmissable.
Yes: The Atlantis Bookshop is on Museum Street, and Treadwell’s is a short walk away in Bloomsbury.
Quick Tips
- Book ahead for The Magic Circle—its museum opens only during events.
- Mind accessibility at the Old Operating Theatre: access involves a narrow spiral staircase.
- Use late openings: Viktor Wynd often opens into the evening—pair it with dinner nearby.
Planning a culture day with your pup? Check our dog-friendly museums in London guide.
More in the mood for music? Read our Rock & Roll museums in London roundup next.