The Royal London Hospital has been central to London life since 1740, when it was established—supported by donations—to help the desperate condition of the poor. That history has put a lot of cool material in its hodgepodge archive, including letters by unfairly forgotten hero nurse Edith Cavell, forensic files from the Jack the Ripper case, a portion of George Washington’s false teeth, and personal belongings of Joseph “The Elephant Man” Merrick, the sweet but luckless soul who lived in rooms on the premises until his death at age 27. You’ll see it all, plus lot of skin-crawling archaic medical instruments that will fascinate anyone who works in modern healthcare. This place can keep funky hours; it’s always smart to call ahead.