Faraday Museum

The West End


Housed for the most part in the basement of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, this low-key and neon-lit museum is a tranquil escape from the bustle of Mayfair at street level. The exhibits themselves commemorate the work of scientist Michael Faraday, the 'Father of Electricity', including his isolation of benzene, his ‘condenser’ to prove electricity is a force, and a glass ‘egg’ for electric experiments.

Faraday's recreated laboratory on the very spot where it once stood is fascinating; real live experiments are continued behind a glass partition just opposite.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The West End attractions

1. Royal Arcade

0.09 MILES

Running perpendicular to Burlington Arcade between Old Bond and Albermarle Sts is this more recent arcade dating from 1880.

2. Burlington Arcade

0.16 MILES

Flanking Burlington House, which is home to the Royal Academy of Arts, is this delightful arcade, built in 1819. Today it is a shopping precinct for the…

3. Royal Academy of Arts

0.18 MILES

Britain’s oldest society devoted to fine arts was founded in 1768 and moved here to Burlington House a century later. For its 250th birthday in 2018, the…

4. Regent Street

0.18 MILES

The handsome border dividing the trainer-clad clubbers of Soho from the Gucci-heeled hedge-fund managers of Mayfair, Regent St was designed by John Nash…

5. St George's Hanover Square

0.19 MILES

Built in 1724 as one of 50 churches projected by Queen Anne's Act of 1710, St George's has hosted more than a few society weddings over the years; among…

6. St James’s Piccadilly

0.26 MILES

The only church (1684) Christopher Wren built from scratch and one of a handful established on a new site (most of the other London churches are…

7. Handel & Hendrix in London

0.27 MILES

George Frederick Handel lived in this 18th-century Mayfair building for 36 years until his death in 1759. This is where he composed some of his finest…

8. Green Park

0.3 MILES

At 19 hectares, Green Park is the smallest of the eight royal parks. It has huge plane and oak trees and undulating meadows, and it’s never as crowded as…