Free Tours of the Linnean Society

The Linnean Society of London, which houses the collections of renowned Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, is the world’s oldest learned society devoted to biology and natural history, and is the birthplace of the theory of evolution.

To celebrate Explore Your Archives’ Focus Week at the end of November, the Linnean Society is offering two free tours on Thursday 21st of November at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. The Linnean Society is one of the most important venues in the history of science, and the tour will offer a unique opportunity to view some of the favourite items from the collections staff, including a rare opportunity to visit the bombproof and environmentally-controlled Collections Store below hidden away below bustling Piccadilly, where the archive, library, herbarium and zoological specimens are stored. The tours will be run at 10am and 4pm and will last for one hour, with a maximum of 12 people per tour.

The free tours can be booked on Eventbrite a first-come basis:*

Book here for 10am Tour

Book here for 4pm Tour

There will also be an opportunity to see the Linnean Society’s current exhibition, Still Life: Depicting Nature from Woodcuts to X-Rays. From the carved woodblocks of the early modern period to the new technique of X-Rays in the twentieth century, the exhibition Still Life reveals how different methods of representing nature have furthered our understanding and knowledge of the natural world.

The exhibition showcases manuscripts, rare books, specimens, and rare books from our collections that indicate the many techniques that have been used to depict nature in the last five centuries: woodcuts, engravings, drawings, paintings, nature printing, dried specimens, photographs, X-rays, and finally digital art.

The exhibition runs Tuesdays to Fridays, 10.00–17.00 from 13 September until Friday 28 February 2025.

*If you miss out on the free tours but would like to visit another day, the Linnean Society offers 90-minute tours for groups of 6-24 people, and may be able to accommodate individuals, by appointment. Fees range from £12-£15 per person. More information can be found here.

Free Tours of the Linnean Society

The Linnean Society of London, which houses the collections of renowned Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, is the world’s oldest learned society devoted to biology and natural history, and is the birthplace of the theory of evolution.

To celebrate Explore Your Archives’ Focus Week at the end of November, the Linnean Society is offering two free tours on Thursday 21st of November at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. The Linnean Society is one of the most important venues in the history of science, and the tour will offer a unique opportunity to view some of the favourite items from the collections staff, including a rare opportunity to visit the bombproof and environmentally-controlled Collections Store below hidden away below bustling Piccadilly, where the archive, library, herbarium and zoological specimens are stored. The tours will be run at 10am and 4pm and will last for one hour, with a maximum of 12 people per tour.

The free tours can be booked on Eventbrite a first-come basis:*

Book here for 10am Tour

Book here for 4pm Tour

There will also be an opportunity to see the Linnean Society’s current exhibition, Still Life: Depicting Nature from Woodcuts to X-Rays. From the carved woodblocks of the early modern period to the new technique of X-Rays in the twentieth century, the exhibition Still Life reveals how different methods of representing nature have furthered our understanding and knowledge of the natural world.

The exhibition showcases manuscripts, rare books, specimens, and rare books from our collections that indicate the many techniques that have been used to depict nature in the last five centuries: woodcuts, engravings, drawings, paintings, nature printing, dried specimens, photographs, X-rays, and finally digital art.

The exhibition runs Tuesdays to Fridays, 10.00–17.00 from 13 September until Friday 28 February 2025.

*If you miss out on the free tours but would like to visit another day, the Linnean Society offers 90-minute tours for groups of 6-24 people, and may be able to accommodate individuals, by appointment. Fees range from £12-£15 per person. More information can be found here.