The Museum of the Order of St John

The unique and fascinating story of an ancient religious military Order, from its origins caring for sick pilgrims in eleventh century Jerusalem, through to its modern-day role with St John Ambulance, the international first aid charity.

What our visitors say

  • “A very enjoyable tour. The guides were marvellous. I look forward to another visit.”
  • "Lovely visit, my 5 year old son enjoyed the children's activity trail which we did together - very engaging, thank you!"
  • "Thank you to the kind man at reception who helped with Dad’s wheelchair! Great museum!"
  • "St John Ambulance saved my life on 1st March 2015 so I came here to learn more. Keep up the good work!"

News and events

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Late at the Gate

Thursday 26th October

6pm - 9:30pm
Late at the Gate Ye Olde Tavern Quiz: Medieval Special

Hail thee, hail thee, history enthusiasts, seekers of the Holy Grail and fans of a good pint of ale! 

Join us at the home of the Knights Hospitaller for a quiz to test your medieval knowledge. Enjoy a tankard of beer or a glass of fine wine from the Jerusalem Tavern as you puzzle over a game of thrones or some Latin scrawl.

Who will emerge as the most enlightened?

This medieval special celebrates the launch of our latest temporary exhibition ‘Holy City, Holy War: Devotion to the Sacred in Crusader Jerusalem’. Some rounds will be light-hearted, but all will test your medieval knowledge!

Team tickets are £30, maximum team size is 6 people. Click here to book your place.

Quiz will begin at 7pm although, arrive early for a pint and a head start!

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Panorama of Jerusalem by Tristram Ellis, 1897 (LDOSJ 1059) Click to expand image Panorama of Jerusalem by Tristram Ellis, 1897 (LDOSJ 1059)
Exhibition, Free

Saturday 2nd September - Friday 22nd December

Holy City, Holy War: Devotion to the Sacred in Crusader Jerusalem

For the past two years the Museum of the Order of St John has collaborated with the University of Birmingham on the Bearers of the Cross: Material Religion in the Crusading World, 1095–c.1300 research project, thanks to generous funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The project has been exploring the devotional worlds of medieval crusaders through a wide-ranging examination of texts, images and objects. Researchers have been studying the ritual practices crusaders observed, the religious artefacts they treasured, and the sacred spaces they shaped and were shaped by. Central to this work has been a fresh examination of the medieval collections of the Museum of the Order of St John.

Holy City, Holy War: Devotion to the Sacred in Crusader Jerusalem will present some of the highlights from the museum’s medieval and post-medieval collections and introduce some of the themes that have been at the heart of the project’s research.

To find out more about the project, the exhibition, and the museum’s medieval collections, please visit www.bearersofthecross.org.uk and follow @CrusaderMatter on Twitter.

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Museum temporary closure

We are sorry to announce that, due to a private museum event taking place on Thursday 9th November, the museum galleries will close to the public at the earlier time of 1pm. Normal opening hours will be in operation throughout the rest of the week.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

READ MORE ABOUT HIRING OUR VENUES
  • View of the interior of the Priory Church of the Order of St John The Priory Church of the Order of St John. Photography by Shaun Le Gassick
  • View of the interior of the Crypt of the Priory Church of the Order of St John The Crypt. Photography by Shaun Le Gassick
  • View of the Link Gallery of the Museum of the Order of St John The Link Gallery. © MOSJ
  • ALT= The Cloister Garden. © MOSJ
  • ALT= The Chapter Hall. © MOSJ

Blog

Exhibition, Bearers of the Cross

Designing graphic layouts for an exhibition

Posted 13 September 2017
Museum of the Order of St John Justin Bailey, Museum office assistant

One of the best things about working in a small museum with a small team is having the chance to help out with a wide range of jobs, from messy children's activities through to object photography in the collections stores. I particularly enjoy... Read more

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Uncategorized

A Visitor Comment

Posted 9 September 2017
Museum of the Order of St John

Visitor comment: Had a great time but would have liked descriptions in your upper rooms with regard to the paintings and the rooms themselves. We joined the tour very late so we were rushed through the rooms at top speed and nothing was explained to... Read more

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ALT="" The Siege of Malta, the Capture of St. Elmo, by Matteo Perez d'Aleccio, 16th Century, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siege_of_malta_2.jpg
History, Volunteering

Anniversary of the Siege of Malta

Posted 6 September 2017
Museum of the Order of St John Jack Hanson, Collections Volunteer

In May 1565, Ottoman troops laid siege to Malta, the then home of the Order of St John. Read more

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ALT="" ©Museum of the Order of St John, London/Jack Hanson 2017
History, Volunteering, Collection Highlights

Memories of Constantine the Great in Jean de Valette's Maltese Coinage

Posted 4 September 2017
Museum of the Order of St John Jack Hanson, Collections Volunteer

Jack Hanson is an undergraduate at Queen Mary, University of London, about to start his dissertation on the Third Crusade. He has been volunteering at the Museum on a British Numismatic Society Bursary. At first glance, a particular design of... Read more

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History

Another gem from our Cloister Garden

Posted 3 September 2017
Museum of the Order of St John Judi McGinley, Museum Assistant

Alas! Autumn is fast upon us but fortunately our Cloister Garden is still looking blooming lovely (if you will excuse the pun)! Here are some beautiful images of roses from our garden, which as you can see is still chock full of... Read more

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Sponsors

The Museum of the Order of St John would like to thank all those who have supported and continue to support its work. In particular, the Museum would like to thank the following for their generosity: