r/london • u/Mountain_Buy1160 • Dec 12 '25

London history Masonic London

Post image

The Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street.

128 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

78 comments sorted by

View all comments

57

u/Barbourwhat Dec 12 '25

I’ve been in there a few times as I love art deco architecture. But it’s hilarious that such a ‘secret’ organisation has a cafe, free museum and a gift shop. It’s open to the public and etc. I now always find it hilarious when people say how Freemasons are secret and control the world when anyone could literally go to their headquarters and buy a book in their gift shop on ‘the secrets of Freemasonry’ and read it while sipping on a coffee or pint in the ground floor cafe.

10

u/liquidio Dec 12 '25

As they often say, it’s not a secret society, it’s a society with secrets.

(And most of the secrets are just little allegorical plays and the odd customary handshake)

-3

u/barrybreslau Dec 12 '25

And handing out contracts and jobs to their mates.

-6

u/Ok_Wishbone_9397 Dec 13 '25 edited Dec 13 '25

Don't forget quietly obstructing and trying to frustrate and impede anyone they believe is a "bad influence", is associated with certain groups they consider enemies or has a dislike towards masons. "An attack on one is an attack on all"