The most cultural spots to get your Covid-19 vax

Westminster Abbey, London

The site of coronations and royal weddings, the storied abbey has set up a vaccination hub in its Poets’ Corner where literary luminaries such as Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen are buried or memorialised. The clinic, which opened in March, will be open twice a week until at least the end of June and has capacity for up to 800 vaccinations per day. Actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry was among the first residents to have been vaccinated within the abbey, gushing over the experience of being jabbed “under the eye of the poets… and a dozen sleeping kings and queens” to his Twitter followers. westminster-abbey.org

Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art, Turin

As of last month, the Castello di Rivoli – once a royal palace owned by the Savoy dynasty – has become a hybrid contemporary art museum-vaccination centre. Patients receiving their Covid-19 vaccine can enjoy the graphic murals of Swiss artist Claudia Comte, which line the walls of the third floor of the museum, while listening to a soundscape she created in collaboration with the composer Egon Elliut to calm any jitters. Those who get their vaccines there can visit the rest of the museum, which reopened on 6 May, for free. To mark the occasion, Caravaggio’s Narcissus will be displayed in the Manica Lunga wing, on loan from the Gallerie Nazionali d’Arte Antica in Rome. castellodirivoli.org

American Museum of Natural History, New York

As of late last month, the museum now serves as a walk-in vaccination centre for New York City residents aged 18 and over, who can have the jab administered under the 94ft blue whale suspended from the ceiling (and which now sports a colossal plaster over one of its fins in solidarity). Those receiving the jab will receive a Covid-19 vaccination sticker featuring the bandaged whale, and a voucher for complimentary admission to the museum for a group of up to four. amnh.org

Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

The hallowed “home” of cricket has been the scene of infamous test matches between England and visiting national teams, as well as the annual Eton v Harrow match, a sporting fixture dating back to 1805. Now it has pivoted its efforts into opening a vaccination centre for the local residents of St John’s Wood. Aiming to “knock Covid for six”, the site has administered more than 10,000 vaccines since it opened at the start of the year. lords.org

Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Naples

Housed in a former palace built for the Bourbon rulers of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, and surrounded by 300 acres of woods and parkland that once served as royal hunting grounds, the museum is one of the more scenic spots to get vaccinated. The clinic has been set up in an outbuilding once used for hatching the eggs of pheasants. As well as taking in the verdant landscape, those inoculated in the royal park can also enjoy several artworks, as the waiting room has been filled with reproductions of the main masterpieces in the museum, including Titian’s erotic painting of princess Danaë. museocapodimonte.beniculturali.it

Science Museum, London

Since the Science Museum first opened its doors in 1857, it has been a sanctuary for science lovers – so it is fitting that the museum has now offered up its building to help the vaccination effort. Those getting jabbed can have a sneak preview of the new Covid-19 display, which will showcase the empty vials of the first vaccinations used worldwide alongside a timeline of key objects from the history of vaccination when the museum reopens on 19 May. Homemade masks, coronavirus-themed greetings cards and other pandemic-related items will also join the collection, providing a permanent record for future generations. “Our museum can both tell the story of how vaccination has saved millions of lives, and also play a part in ensuring vaccines protect the nation from Covid-19,” says the museum’s director Sir Ian Blatchford. “It is an extraordinary sensation to be collecting and living history all at once.” sciencemuseum.org.uk

Sigismondo Castromediano Museum, Lecce

The ground floor of Puglia’s oldest museum, whose large archaeological collection dates back to the Palaeolithic and Neolithic ages, has been turned into a vaccination hub. In collaboration with the Mozart Italia Association of Lecce and the Tito Schipa Conservatory, a pianist will be present to entertain those waiting for their vaccine and locals will also be able to visit the exhibition dedicated to Italian artist and filmmaker Paolo Gioli. facebook.com/MuCastromediano

Yankee Stadium, New York

In February, the world-famous baseball stadium was converted into a giant vaccination hub for residents of the Bronx area. Now, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are offering fans a chance to receive the Johnson & Johnson jab while attending a game at either Yankee Stadium or Mets’ Citi Field from 19 May – and will even give those taking the shot free tickets to future games. mlb.com

Catalonia Railway Museum, Vilanova i la Geltru, Spain

Forty-five kilometres to the south of Barcelona, Catalonia’s Railway Museum is home to one of Europe’s largest collections of steam locomotives. The former locomotive warehouse has been offering Covid-19 vaccinations since April, and plans to keep the vaccination clinic open until the end of September. After receiving their jab, local residents can wait in an observation area in company with train cars dating back to the 19th century. patrimoni.gencat.cat

Stade de France, Paris

Built for the 1998 World Cup on the northern outskirts of Paris, France’s national football stadium has also played host to sell-out concerts from the likes of The Rolling Stones and Madonna. Last month, the 80,000-seat venue was repurposed into a giant “vaccinodrome” for a planned period of several months. Since opening in early April, the venue has aimed to vaccinate 10,000 people per week. stadefrance.com