How about Pentonville Prison or one of the other Victorian prisons still in use? I think that somewhere (Clerkenwall?) the Victorian house of detention is now a museum with tours.

A number of the workhouses for debtors are still around, too, though they've been turned into things like hospitals and senior centers. The only ones I can remember offhand are in Hammersmith and Shoreditch, but I'm sure you could find others on the web.

The so-called Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus is a monument to Lord Shaftesbury's work against Victorian child labour.

Savoy Theatre. The Strand, WC2. Tube:Charing Cross

Opened in 1881 as a venue for presenting Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the Savoy was the first building in London to be lit with electricity.

degas, great thread. Here's another one for your growing collection.

Brompton Oratory. Brompton Road, SW3. Tube: South Kensington. Open 0700-2000. Designed in 1878 by Herbert Gribble, this Italian Baroque church with its dramatic marble and gilt interior, was created for members of the Oxford Movement, a group of 19th century intellectuals who converted to Catholicism.

One more:

Lyceum Theatre. Wellington Street, WC2
Tel0) 870 606 3446.Tube:Covent Garden

Destroyed by fire in 1809 and again in 1830, demolished in 1902 and reopened in 1904 as a music hall and later a venue for variety shows, musicals and ballet, The Lyceum Theatre is a London landmark. Managed to fashionability by Sir Henry Irving (1875 - 1902), the first actor ever to be knighted, with his business manager Bram Stoker, author of "Dracula," the Lyceum was known for Victorian melodramas and lavish Shakespearean productions. Converted to a dance hall after World War II, the theatre was closed until Apollo Leisure refurbished and reopened it in 1996, with a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ, Superstar."

QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL. Buckingham Palace, SW1. Tube: Green Park.

As conceived in 1901 by Sir Aston Webb, this memorial was to be the symbolic hub of the Empire and the centerpiece for his entire Mall plan, which included Admiralty Arch and a new front for Buckingham Palace. The sculpture of Queen Victoria, seated, was done by Sir Thomas Brock and includes a gilded Victory atop a base of marble, surrounded by allegorical figures representing Victorian virtues, such as Truth,

OLD OPERATING THEATRE MUSEUM. 9a St. Thomas's St. Southwark. Daily, 1030-1700. 4GBP.

Just by London Bridge, and opposite Guy's Hospital and 2 min walk from London Bridge Underground Station and a few minutes walk from the rebuilt Globe Theatre and Tower Bridge. The Operating Theatre is found in the roof space of an English Baroque Church since the wards of the South Wing of St. Thomas's Hospital were built around St. Thomas's Church.

degas, this is my last contribution for the night. Hope this helps.

ADMIRALTY ARCH (1910). A tribute to Queen Victoria from a grateful nation. Located at the NE end of The Mall and on the SW side of Trafalgar Square. Tube: Charing Cross. Commissioned by Queen Victoria's son, King Edward VII it was designed by Sir Aston Webb. Piercing its center is a quintet of arches faced with Portland stone, marking the first stage of a majestic processional route leading from Buckingham Palace east to St. Paul's. The centermost of the five arches is opened only for ceremonial occasions; the two side arches are for vehicular traffic, and the two smallest arches for pedestrians.

Church of St. Mary Abbot in Kensington, near the entrance to the gardens with a private door to let the royals enter. The church is a Victorian take on 13th Century gothic with wonderful memorials and an absolutely delightful churchyard. Facade of the parish school -- still in operation -- is charming. According to the guidebook, the school was last remodeled in 1905.

degas, here's one I've always wanted to see, but never got to:

VICTORIA EMBANKMENT & GARDENS. Tube: Embankment. The Victoria Embankment extends along the Thames from Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament at the south end to Blackfriar's Bridge at the north end. Originally intended as a barrier against the encroaching Thames mud, the embankment project also provided for an above ground roadway and an underground railway trunk. The Embankment Gardens were opened in 1870 on both sides of the north end of the Hungerford Foot Bridge and provide a lovely, riverside green space, complete with outdoor cafe and statuary.

Royal Albert Hall. South Kensington. Tube: High Street Kensington. This was the inspiration of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who in the early 1850s decided on having a Great Hall built as a cultural centre.

It was designed by Fowke and its oval shape is reminiscent of Roman amphitheatres. Below its massive metal and glass dome, a terracotta frieze shows the progress of Man in the arts and sciences throughout the ages.

Originally named the Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences, in memory of the Prince, it became known as just the Royal Albert Hall and is capable of seating about 5500. It is here too that a variety of events and festivals are held throughout the year but the emphasis is on music and musical concerts.

degas, another for the collection.

LANCASTER HOUSE. Overlooking Green Park at the end of the Mall, this royal residence was rebuilt in 1825. The architect was Benjamin Dean Wyatt, who was also responsible for the Duke of Wellington's splendid home, Apsley House, No.1 London. Queen Victoria was much impressed by the splendour of the neo-classical mansion. In 1848 Chopin played here for Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and the Duke of Wellington. Used now for government receptions and conferences. Worth a look if you are passing.

WILTON'S MUSIC HALL. 1 Grace?s Alley. Tube: Tower. Was the first and one of the most successful of London"s music halls. Situated in Grace"s Alley, just off Cable Street in London"s East End, it was opened by John Wilton in 1858. This music hall cooked for about 25 years before it was bought in 1885 by a gospel mission and remained under them until 1956. After the mission the building lay derelict for some time before becoming a home for squatters and a rag warehouse. In 1966 it was bought by the Greater London Council for slum clearance. But the British Music Hall Society went to the public inquiry and said Wilton's could not be destroyed as it was the only remaining music hall. Since 1999 Broomhill Opera have been based at Wilton's.

Here's my humble suggestion to add to the list: the Cast Courts in the V&A. As I understand it, the Victorians had these casts made of the most celebrated examples of sculpture and architecture as a means of educating the masses who didn't have the means to travel to see the originals.
Annette

Thanks again for all the wonderful inputs. Its great that folks are advancing ideas and even going so far as to provide specifics so its easy to find and identify these places.


I'm cutting and pasting your inputs into one consolidated summary document. Still a ways to go, but we are getting there.

THE SALISBURY PUB: 89 St Martins Lane, Covent Garden. Tube: Leicester Square.

A very stunning pub. Glittering cut-glass mirrors and old-fashioned banquettes, plus lighting fixtures of veiled bronze girls in flowing togas, re-create the Victorian gin-parlor atmosphere in the heart of the West End. Dates from the mid 19th century and is notorious for the bare-knuckle fights that were held there in that era.

Theatergoers drop in for homemade meat pie or salad buffet before curtain.

i haven't been able to read the other responses so pardon me if i am repeating. There are some great walks such as going by the streets and buildings Dickens lived and wrote, graveyards, etc. i am not 100% sure where i found these because i haunt libraries before trips (and it has been a few years since we did the London walks), but i think it may have been a frommers or one of the other widely known books with walking tours printed in it. My guess a google search on walking tours may do it for you. have fun with your research.

Tate Britain?--for the Turners, and the Pre-Rapahaelites

I meant to add, London Walks has an Oscar Wilde walk that I am considering for my own next visit

I think going to Buckingham Palace and studying the mammoth Victoria Memorial statue out front would certainly be an excellent start for anyone in search of Victorian London. Although it was executed shortly after that era, viewing it will help set the scene and bring to focus all other things you will see.

What I probably like most about Victorian architecture is how they so adeptly borrowed from other styles and then built an updated interpretation. Westminster Cathedral (not Abbey) is an amazing example of Victorians building in the Byzantine style. This catholic church is my favorite example of architecture of the period - even if it doesn't fit the style most associate with the mid/late 19th century.

Also related - have you ever seen The 1900 House? This BBC production which aired a few years ago on PBS in America is really like time travel as it takes a modern-day family in London and makes them live in a house just as Victorians would have. A period of several months is tightly edited down to 4 hours (I think) of viewing. It's quite an eye opener and blows the glamor-myths some people hold of this time in history. You can probably find the VHS on amazon.com or pbs.org

Here's a book series that Victorian fans might like:

The Flashman series of books is written by George Macdonald Fraser, and details the life of fictional Victorian soldier, Sir Harry Flashman.

Flashman first appeared as the bully in Tom Brown's Schooldays, and over the course of these books, Flashman recounts tales of his service at numerous major military disasters, from the Charge of the Light Brigade to Rorke's Drift. Flashman is a coward, a scoundrel and a self-confessed poltroon, and yet somehow manages to get promoted through the ranks of the British army to brigadier-general over the course of the books.

Each book has been meticulously researched by Macdonald Fraser, and includes a series of footnotes to accompany the story, providing corroborating details on Flashman's commentary, based on historical accounts.

The series is very well written, and forms a lively account of the major events of the Victorian era from the unique perspective of Sir Harry Flashman.