'London's weirdest museum' the Hunterian to close for three years

A museum of curiosities in London is to close its doors for three years.

The Hunterian museum, whose exhibits include preserved foetuses, tumours and syphilitic skeletons, is to undergo a major refurbishment project from next Spring.

It is part of a wider plan to redevelop the Royal College of Surgeons’ (RCS buildings at Lincoln’s Inn Fields, to which the Hunterian belongs.

Celebrity illusionist Derren Brown was quick to react to the news, writing on Twitter that the Hunterian, which is free entry, is a “favourite place”.

He wrote: “A favourite place. The Hunterian Museum is closing for 3 years.”

The RCS’ redevelopment plans are still subject to planning permission, with public exhibitions to be held on September 13-14 and consultation to follow.

It will remain open until May 20, 2017 and then re-open in summer 2020.

According to the RCS, the current buildings, almost completely rebuilt following Second World War bomb damage, are “uneconomical, inflexible, expensive to run and refurbish” and “an obstacle to future progress".

Nicola Kane, Media Relations Manager, said: “We plan to transform our London base into a modern, light and flexible facility to provide the best possible education, examination and research facilities for the profession while embracing our prestigious heritage.

“As well as modernising our inefficient and ageing estate, the redesign will reflect our changing functions as a home for surgical excellence in Britain and across the world in the 21st century.

“We intend to minimise the impact of the redevelopment of the building to the services we provide to our members, customers and visitors, and we will continue to provide information on our website as the project progresses.”

The museum also houses the full skeleton of the ‘Irish giant’ Charles Byrne and various animal skulls as well as early anatomy tables and surgical equipment.