Welcome to the Florence Nightingale Museum

The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates the life and work of the best known figure in nursing history.

Did you know Florence Nightingale was the first female member of the Royal Statistical Society? That she owned over 60 cats throughout her life and had a pet owl called Athena? Do you know why she was called Florence?

Nightingale was the founder of modern nursing, was one of our greatest Victorians and a female icon in her own lifetime. She is still an inspiration to nurses around the globe.

Visit the museum to celebrate the life of this trailblazing woman; discover all about her affluent childhood, how she fought against her parents’ wishes to become a nurse, her work during the Crimean War and how she campaigned for better healthcare for ordinary people. See the actual lamp she carried which earned her the nickname The Lady With The Lamp, meet her pet owl and see her medicine chest.

Florence Nightingale performer cleans a 'Museum Open' sign outside the entrance

What’s on
at Florence Nightingale Museum

We run a lively programme of special events here at The Florence Nightingale Museum, including our popular ‘Meet Miss Nightingale’ series and museum tours.

Learning
at Florence Nightingale Museum

The Florence Nightingale Museum offers formal and informal learning opportunities to discover the story of Florence Nightingale, including KS1 workshops, family activities and trails.