Body Worlds in London

Body Worlds is the anatomy exhibition that made Gunther von Hagens famous: real human bodies, donated for the purpose, preserved by the plastination process he invented and shown without their skin, so you see the muscles, nerves, organs and bones that are normally hidden. Its official site says the touring shows have been seen by more than 58 million people in over 175 cities. The London show, The Anatomy of Happiness, is produced by the Institute for Plastination with Fever, which sells the tickets; Secret London reported its opening at Sussex Mansions on Old Brompton Road on 25 September 2026, and Fever's calendar runs to 21 March 2027.

You book a time slot, scan the ticket from the Fever app at the door and then go round at your own pace. Fever says to allow about an hour; the exhibition's own site says 60 to 90 minutes, and one reviewer quoted there found two hours not enough. A free audio guide plays on your phone from QR codes along the way, so bring headphones. Coats can be left at the box office, there are restrooms, and seating is limited.

The exhibits are of three kinds, the official site says: whole-body plastinates, single organs, and thin transparent slices through the body. Some of them show what disease does to the body. There are areas on the brain, the heart and blood vessels, and the development of the foetus. This edition's theme is how emotions, lifestyle and relationships affect the body, and its set piece is the Anatomical Mirror, an interactive display that shows where your own organs sit as you stand in front of it. Fever's photographs from the tour show plastinates posed as athletes, a chess player and a dancer.

Photography is allowed without flash, and there are no strobe lights. It is a serious show rather than a gory one, but it is real human remains: the organisers welcome all ages and advise parental discretion for some exhibits.

Body Worlds is the most-reviewed anatomy exhibition in London on Fever, 4.7 from about 1,000 reviews on 30 October 2026, and the one to choose if you want to see the whole human body, posed and explained, in an hour. Its closest rival is free: the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons in Lincoln's Inn Fields, a museum of anatomical and surgical specimens, open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00. Choose the Hunterian for history and a free hour near Holborn; choose Body Worlds for whole bodies, a modern layout and a theme built for families. A few minutes' walk from Sussex Mansions, the Science Museum is also free, and it hosts Smithsonian Starstruck, a space exhibition Fever produces, 4.6 from 1,940 reviews and from 16.22 pounds with fees on 30 October 2026.

Buying on Fever is buying direct. The exhibition's own London site is run by Fever, its Book now buttons open this listing, and it says there is also a box office at the venue, although slots can sell out. For the price, the Family Bundle is the one to look at: at least three tickets with at least one child, at 15.52 pounds each with fees on 30 October 2026, against 21.40 for an adult on that day. If you would rather sit for an hour of music, see our Candlelight concerts page; for an evening out after the museums, The Murdér Express and Moonshine Saloon are our London choices.