School and Group Bookings FAQ

Group visits can be booked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, at 10:30, 12:30, and 2:30. Bookings can be made 2 weeks to 1 year in advance.

No. These are the days when the Museum is open to the public and our Education team is not onsite, so we cannot accommodate group visits on those days.

The Victorian Surgery Talk includes a 45-minute talk on the history of St Thomas’ Hospital, the Old Operating Theatre, and the history of surgery, followed by 45 minutes in the Museum space. You have exclusive access to this space during your booked time.

Use our website calendar to check the availability of your chosen activity. Once you have filled in the booking form, you will receive a “Pending Confirmation” email. We will check the details of your booking and confirm it (this may take up to 7 days). You will receive a confirmation email when your booking is confirmed.

The Victorian Surgery Talk costs a flat rate of £250 per group. We are unable to offer discounts to smaller groups.

From September 2026, the price will increase to £300 per group. This is to reflect the impact of inflation on the Museum’s operating costs.

Once your booking has been confirmed, you will be sent an invoice by our finance department. Invoices are usually sent approximately one month before the date of your booking.

The invoice will contain payment instructions and options. Payment must be made before your visit.

We are able to offer a small number of subsidised bursary options to some UK schools. Please inquire with [email protected] if you think your school may be a candidate for this.

As a registered charity, we are unable to offer other discounts to groups.

Our Museum space is quite small, so we limit group size to a total of 50 people for talks, including all children and all adults. This is for safety reasons to do with our emergency evacuation risk assessment and public liability insurance, so we are not able to be flexible with this limit.

Talks are limited to a total of 50 people, as stated above.

We recommend the following adult to child ratios:

• KS1 and KS2 – 1:6
• KS3 – 1:10
• KS4 and KS5 – 1:15

The Victorian Surgery Talk is 90 minutes long (45-minute talk and 45-minute museum time).

Cancellations must be made in writing via email to [email protected].

Cancellation fees are charged as follows:

On the day cancellations or no-shows will still be charged at the full amount.

• 4 weeks – If you notify us at least 4 weeks before the date of your visit we are happy to offer you a full refund.
• 3 weeks – There will be a 25% charge on your full booking amount
• 2 weeks – 50% charge on your full booking amount
• 1 week – 75% charge on your full booking amount
• Less than one week’s notice or on the day cancellations or no-shows will be charged the full amount.

Yes. Please check our Booking and Risk Assessment Information document.

You can also look at our sample risk assessment for museum talks.

The Museum is located in the attic of St Thomas’ Church on St Thomas Street. The nearest tube or train station is London Bridge.

Access to the Museum is up a 52-step spiral staircase.

There is a small access lift that is not for general use. Please contact [email protected] if someone in your group will need to use this. The lift can accommodate a maximum of two people at a time.

Please see our Accessibility Guide for more information.

We also have a visual story for school Victorian Surgery Talks, also available in a print-friendly version.

If you have further questions or concerns about accessibility, please contact [email protected].

The Museum has no public toilets on site.

The nearest public toilets are in London Bridge train station or Borough Market.

No food or drink other than water is allowed in the Museum. It is a historic space and we wish to preserve it and protect it from any spills or damage.

The Museum does not have facilities or space for your group to have lunch.

There are a few eating areas within a ten-minute walking distance of the Museum:

Outside

• Guy Street Park (entrance on Weston Street)
• Little Dorrit Gardens (entrance on Borough High Street

Under cover

• Hays Galleria (entrance on Tooley St)

We are in a busy part of central London and encourage you to make use of public transport where possible.

There are two car parks in the area:

• Union Car Parks at Ewer Street, London SE1 0UE
• NCP at Kipling Street, London, SE1 3RU

The Museum is in the attic of a Grade II* listed building and does not have heating or air conditioning. We recommend you dress appropriately for the weather.

There is a gift shop where you can pay by cash or card. Usually we do not open the shop for school groups, but this can be done upon request. If you would like to allow your group to use the gift shop, please ask your facilitator when you arrive.

Southwark has lots of options for your group. Our suggestions of medical and historical interest:

Medi-Culture Southwark walk: Take a walk through medical history and modern wellbeing and explore the medicinal connections from the Florence Nightingale Museum to the Old Operating Theatre. Discover a monastic herb garden, 1950s exercise regimes, and the health benefits of chocolate and beer! At London Bridge | Medi-Culture District Walk

Dickens, Shakespeare and beyond: The Free Walk In Southwark – Dickens and Shakespeare’s London.

Shakespeare’s Globe (a 12 minute walk from OOT): Shakespeare’s Walking Tour | Guided Tours

Southwark Cathedral: Home: Southwark Cathedral

Winchester Palace: Winchester Palace | English Heritage

You can contact the education team at [email protected]. Please be aware that we are a small and busy part-time team, and we will prioritise answering questions that are not answered in this FAQ or elsewhere on our website.