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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret

@oldoptheatre.bsky.social

9.9K followers 540 following 240 posts

A medical museum housing the oldest operating theatre in Europe (1822) in the heart of London Bridge. Likes and retweets are not endorsements. #OldOpTheatre www.oldoperatingtheatre.com

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Nov 14

Welcome to the Old Operating Theatre Museum! Step into Europe’s oldest surgical theatre, hidden above St. Thomas' Church,and discover the world of 19th c medicine. From apothecary bottles to medicinal leeches and surgical tools, journey with us into the fascinating history of Medicine! #OldOpTheatre

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · 5d

Join us for The Einstein of Sex: Magnus Hirschfeld and the Grand Unified Theory of Everyone, with journalist and author Daniel Brook

🗓️ 14th October 2025 6:00-8:30pm

🔗 Tickets available here: oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/...

All ticket sales support the museum as a registered charity

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · 9d

Join us on the 13th of October for Vital Organs🫀 book signing and talk with Suzie Edge!

Copies of ‘Vital Organs’ will be available for purchase and signing by the author on the night

🔗 For more info, and to purchase tickets: oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/...

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · 16d

Join us on the 6th October for a talk and book signing with author Tim Richardson 💉

🔗 For more information and to book your ticket follow the link below:
oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/...

All ticket sales support the museum as a registered charity

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · 20d

One Week until 'No Ordinary Deaths' Talk and Book Signing with Molly Conisbee 🖤

📆 Thursday 25th September: 6pm-8:30pm

🔗 Purchase your tickets here: oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/...

All ticket sales support the museum as a registered charity

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · 22d

Looking for spooky season inspo? 👻

Take home a bottle of Bloody Ketchup 🩸 (the perfect Halloween gift!) or pick up a cosy autumn read 📚 Learn all about what happened to famous corpses or dive into the fascinating history of transplant surgery🫀

🔗 shop.oldoperatingtheatre.com

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · 27d

One week until a journey through the history of Childbirth with Jenny Wylam!

For more information and to book your ticket, check out the link below. All ticket sales support the museum as a registered charity

🔗 oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/...

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Sep 7

🦠 They’re back! Our Giant Microbes have been restocked - with new arrivals including TB and measles, and the return of anxiety and depression. You can even grab a cuddly lung for a friend! 💚

Available now in our online shop - don’t miss out! shop.oldoperatingtheatre.com/collections/...

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Sep 5

The Old Operating Theatre Museum is looking for a Marketing Officer and a Retail Officer.

If you’re creative and passionate about medical history, we’d love to hear from you!

More details here: oldoperatingtheatre.com/vacancies/

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 25

Summer Family Activities on this week ☀️ and don't forget the museum is open every day 10:30 - 17:00 (Last entry 16:15)

Find out more info on our website oldoperatingtheatre.com/old-op-on-to...

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 19

📖 ⚰️ Have you heard the news? We're so excited to be welcoming Molly Conisbee, author of 'No Ordinary Deaths', to the Old Op this September!

📅 25th September

🔗 oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/...

All ticket sales support the museum as a registered charity.

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 15

🎫 Journey through the history of Childbirth with Jenny Wylam in Europe’s Oldest Surviving Operating Theatre.

📅 18th September 2025

🔗 oldoperatingtheatre.com/event-posts/...

All ticket sales support the museum as a registered charity.

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 12

Elevate your sock collection with a touch of the macabre! 💀

These snug cotton blend socks feature a striking skull design—ideal for history buffs and/or those with a penchant for the more gothic side of life 🧦

Grab a pair now at the #OldOpShop:

🔗 shop.oldoperatingtheatre.com/products/sku...

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 11

Join us this Wednesday to meet the Herbal Woman of Old St Thomas’ Hospital! 🌿

Through a range of multi-sensory activities, you can discover more about historical herbalism, and even make your very own pomander to take home!

Find out more info over on our website:

🔗 buff.ly/AcdaU92

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 10

Another wonderful Herbs & Handling session at the Hunterian Museum last Wednesday 🌿
Thanks to everyone who joined us, if you missed out, don't worry! We are visiting plenty of spaces around London this Summer, check out here to see what's coming up next:
oldoperatingtheatre.com/old-op-on-to...

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 9

Have you spotted the brand new pins in the #OldOpShop? 😍

Exclusive to us (and inspired by our historic collection!), these pins are made in the UK using recycled and hypoallergenic materials.

Check out the full range over in our online shop:

🔗 shop.oldoperatingtheatre.com/products/old...

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 8

Don't judge us, but we're already dreaming about those crisp autumn days 🍂

Autumn sees the highly anticipated return of our events programme, and we're kicking it off with a stellar line-up of talks this September.

🔗 Tickets available now: oldoperatingtheatre.com/events-new/

'What's on: September.
Sept 18, Exploring Childbirth at The Old Operating Theatre, speaker Jenny Wylam.

Sept 25, No Ordinary Deaths: A people's history of mortality, speaker Molly Conisbee.

Sept 27, Surgery and the Victorian Operating Theatre.'

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 6

Herbs & Handling – Barts Pathology Museum
🗓️ 12 August | 11–1 & 2–4pm
Free, but booking required : www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/old-op-on-...

Herbs & Handling – Florence Nightingale Museum
🗓️ 13 August | 1–4pm
Admission charge

Meet Mistress Riddle
🗓️ 13 August | 11-1 & 2-4pm
Included with museum entry

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 4

🖤 New in the Shop! 🖤

From tiny golden scissor studs to spooky skull socks, we’ve just added a new range of curious treasures to our online store!

Explore the full collection below - all sales go towards supporting the upkeep of our historic space.

shop.oldoperatingtheatre.com

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Aug 3

We had a brilliant time onboard the Golden Hinde this Thursday for our Surgery at Sea outreach session - thanks to everyone who stopped by! ⚓💉

Missed it? Don’t worry - we’ll be back on 19th August with more grisly maritime medicine and hands-on history 🗓️

oldoperatingtheatre.com/old-op-on-to...

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Jul 30

Family-friendly events next week ☀️

🌿 Historic Herbals – Museum of Life Sciences, Guy's Campus
🗓️ 4 August | 2–4:30pm

🩺 Herbs & Handling – Florence Nightingale Museum, Lambeth Palace Road
🗓️ 5 August | 1–4pm

🧪 Herbs & Handling – Hunterian Museum, 38–43 Lincolns Inn Fields
🗓️ 6 August | 11–3pm

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Jul 30

Local artist Beth Crane has created a range of beautiful bespoke jewellery based on the museum's historical collection. Our own bone saw from the 19th century was the inspiration for this brooch: find it now in the Old Op Shop!

🔗 shop.oldoperatingtheatre.com/products/saw...

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Jul 29

Join us TODAY at the RPS Museum to try your hand at making three wonderful things beginning with "P": pills, pomanders and poisons!

This will be a free drop-in session for all ages: we can't wait to see you later today! 🌿

🔗 www.rpharms.com/about-us/mus...

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Jul 28

Have you ever wanted to own your own plush uterus featuring detachable magnetic mini egg cells? Well, we've got some good news for you! 👀

Treat yourself:

🔗 shop.oldoperatingtheatre.com/products/gia...

#OldOpTheatre #GiantMicrobes #BestGiftEverProbably

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The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Jul 23

Family-friendly events coming up ☀️

📍 Marvellous Medicine – Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 66-68 East Smithfield
🗓️ 29 July | 2–4pm

📍 Healing Histories – John Harvard Library, 211 Borough High Street
🗓️ 30 July | 1–3pm

🏴☠️ Surgery at Sea – The Golden Hinde, St Mary Overie Dock
🗓️ 31 July | 12–3pm

The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret @oldoptheatre.bsky.social · Jul 17

🚨 Changes to our Old Op on Tour Schedule 🚨

Check out above for all the details on when and where we will be this Summer, we hope to see you there! ☀️

For more information about the Old Op on Tour, check out our website via the link below:
oldoperatingtheatre.com/old-op-on-to...