Body Worlds London: A museum of plastic dead bodies is coming to Piccadilly Circus

A permanent museum filled with preserved dead bodies is opening in London this weekend.

Body Worlds, which will take over 28,000 sq ft of the former Ripley’s museum on Piccadilly Circus, will feature more than 200 exhibits made of parts of real human bodies, which have been preserved using a technique called plastination.

The process is the invention of Dr Gunther von Hagens, who works with wife and creative director Dr Angelina Whalley to turn human remains into exhibits that uncover the workings of the human body – often doing so in curious poses such as playing tennis or sitting on swings.

The exhibition has visited more than 130 cities around the world since 1995 and attracted more than 47 million visitors as a touring show, but the new Piccadilly site will be a permanent, flagship site for the project.

The complex plastination technique – which replaces fat and water in the body with plastics – explores nervous, reproductive, cardiovascular and locomotive systems, with the emphasis of the show on making visitors think more seriously about their health.

When does Body Worlds London open?

Body Worlds London opens on October 6

Where is Body Worlds London?

London Pavilion, 1 Piccadilly Circus, W1J 0DA

How do I get tickets for Body Worlds London?

For more information and tickets, visit bodyworlds.com