Florence Nightingale Museum

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Florence Nightingale Museum Celebrating the life and legacy of the Lady with the Lamp Florence Nightingale was the most influential women in Victorian Britain after Queen Victoria herself.

Travel through three pavilions where you can relive her childhood, understand her experiences in the Crimean War and learn about how she pioneered modern nursing practice. Her story is brought to life through our unique collection, fun interactive displays and contemporary art installations.

“By the time the washing machines come out, I hope to be ready to furnish every man in Hospital with a clean shirt twice...
11/10/2026

“By the time the washing machines come out, I hope to be ready to furnish every man in Hospital with a clean shirt twice a week.”
Letter to Sidney Herbert, 28 December 1854

Thank you to all of those who have helped the Florence Nightingale Museum to support National Hygiene Week and The Hygiene Bank this week!

Background image: Notes of Nursing by Florence Nightingale, FNM 0179

“The teat of a feeding bottle should be untied at each using, washed and kept perfectly clean and sweet.”Florence Nighti...
10/10/2026

“The teat of a feeding bottle should be untied at each using, washed and kept perfectly clean and sweet.”
Florence Nightingale, 1st May 1861

When you donate items or funds to The Hygiene Bank at the Florence Nightingale Museum this week, you can explore the museum for a £5 day ticket.
Valid until Sunday 11th October.

Background image: Glass infant bottle used during the Crimean War, FNM 0599

“The way to improve the soldier’s morals is to improve his living conditions.”Florence Nightingale To Edwin Chadwick, 18...
09/10/2026

“The way to improve the soldier’s morals is to improve his living conditions.”
Florence Nightingale To Edwin Chadwick, 1862

When you donate items or funds to at the Florence Nightingale Museum this week, you can explore the museum for a £5 day ticket.
Valid until Sunday 11th October.

Background image: 'Aids to Hygiene for Nurses', Edith M. Funnell, third edition, 1948, FNM 1228

"When we came here, there was neither basin, towel nor soap in the Wards, nor any means of personal cleanliness"Florence...
08/10/2026

"When we came here, there was neither basin, towel nor soap in the Wards, nor any means of personal cleanliness"
Florence Nightingale in a letter to Sidney Herbert, 25 November 1854

Nightingale spent time at Scutari trying to establish sanitary conditions, not just in the environment and buildings of the hospital, but also the personal hygiene of the soldiers which was not seen as a priority by the army. The breakdown of the supply chains also made maintaining personal hygiene harder.

When you donate items or funds to at the Florence Nightingale Museum this week, you can explore the museum for a £5 day ticket.
Valid until Sunday 11th October.

Background image: Black and white photograph of Nightingale nurses on a ward at St Thomas's Hospital, FNM 1219

Many of the issues in the British Military Hospitals during the Crimean War were due to the breakdown of the supply chai...
06/10/2026

Many of the issues in the British Military Hospitals during the Crimean War were due to the breakdown of the supply chain. Nightingale worked hard to obtain more supplies in order to make the hospitals function properly, this included towels, soap and combs so that soldiers could feel more comfortable.

When you donate items or funds to at the Florence Nightingale Museum this week, you can explore the museum for a £5 day ticket.

Valid until Sunday 11th October.

Background image: Watercolour painting of the Barrack Hospital at Scutari, Orlando Norrie, FNM 0018

“Imagine having to choose between feeding your family or buying shampoo so you can go to work with clean hair, or betwee...
05/10/2026

“Imagine having to choose between feeding your family or buying shampoo so you can go to work with clean hair, or between paying rent or buying laundry detergent to send your child to school with a clean uniform. Imagine not wanting to leave the house because you smell and are afraid of what others might say about you. Imagine having to reuse a nappy because you can’t afford them. This is the reality for 4.2 million people in the UK.”

That is why the Florence Nightingale Museum is participating in National Hygiene Week – to raise awareness and to be part of the solution. For this week, we will be collecting items and funds to donate to The Hygiene Bank . For every donation, visitors will be able to explore our museum with a £5 day ticket!

This offer is only available in person at the museum during National Hygiene Week 5th-11th October.

October Quote of the Month Congratulations to those of our eagle eyed followers who proved their habit of observation an...
05/10/2026

October Quote of the Month
Congratulations to those of our eagle eyed followers who proved their habit of observation and spotted our mistake in the first posting of our quote for this month. Here it is again with the correct wording this time!

“If you do not get the habit of observation one way or another (including taking notes) you had better give up being a nurse, for it is not your calling”.

Notes on Nursing

Nightingale felt that observation was a key part of nursing and devoted a whole chapter of Notes on Nursing to it.

She writes that a nurse must know of the state of a patient at all times and only then can they truly answer if the patient was better or not that when they were first being treated. She gives an example of a patient who at first was sitting up in bed keeping himself occupied at first but six weeks later was said to be better as he could now walk across the room. In fact, the patient was not observed properly across his care as he now just laid in bed doing nothing, showing signs of being exhausted from the effort of getting across the room!

Background image: Photograph of Miss Gordon (Matron), Miss Crossland and a group of nurses at St Thomas' Hospital, 1890s. FNM 0484.

29/09/2026

This is your LAST CHANCE to see our temporary exhibition In Focus: Nurse Catherine Pine!

This amazing exhibition must close Sunday 4th October. The space gives an in depth look at the life and work of the nurse to Emmeline Pankhurst and the suffragettes.

One of the biggest highlights is Nurse Pine’s Suffragette Medal which is on display for the first time in over 80 years.

This exhibition is included in all general admission tickets! Tickets are valid for a full year and allow unlimited entry to the museum and all of its exhibitions.

Learn more on our website at https://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/exhibition-in-focus-nurse-catherine-pine/

What do you have planned for this week? Wouldn't you like to spend it at a show fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe?Join us ...
27/09/2026

What do you have planned for this week? Wouldn't you like to spend it at a show fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe?

Join us for Daughter of Bala: The Betsi Cadwaladr Story! Take some time to explore the museum and then get lost in the unmissable story of this Welsh heroine from her humble beginnings to her globetrotting escapades in service! A Crimean Nurse who found herself at odds with none other than Florence Nightingale - Betsi will capture you with heart-stopping excitement and tender humanity!

When: Wednesday 30th September
Tickets: Regular Admission £20, Concessions £18, NHS Discount £10

More information and tickets can be found online at https://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/daughter-of-bala-the-betsi-cadwaladr-story/

Herstorytheatrecompany

Address

2 Lambeth Palace Road
London
SE17EW

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+442071884400

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