Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum

St Mary's Hospital is home to the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum. The laboratory where Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin has been restored to its cramped condition of 1928 and incorporated into a museum about the discovery and his life and work. It is open to the public from Monday to Thursday from 10am to 1pm and can be visited by appointment outside of these times.

The museum is a member of the London Museums of Health & Medicine. Admission is charged.

Awards

In 1999, the Museum was declared an International Historic Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry, and received a San Marino Idea Award for penicillin as one of the five greatest advances of the 20th century. In 2000 it received an award from The Times for penicillin as a national millennium treasure.

Schools

Visits to the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum are tailored to the age, ability and interests of educational groups.

Staff will visit a school, college, university to talk on such themes within the history of medicine as Fleming and penicillin, hospitals and nursing, the history of bacteriology, antibiotics and the fight against infection, the origins of the National Health Service, bringing along slides and objects to illustrate the talks.

Educational resource packs are available on Fleming and penicillin and on Hospitals and Nursing 1845-1948.

Accessibility

We regret that there is no disabled access to the Museum. There are many stairs.

The Museum welcomes visitors from all over the world and information is available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Japanese, Cantonese Chinese, Hindi, Gujerati, Kannada and Punjabi.