The Sanctuary is a place of refuge, a safe haven, for those that are different from humans. Known as Abnormals they are non-human intelligent creatures and humans with genetic variants. They range from the cute to the extremely dangerous. Dr. Helen Magnus, a 157-year-old English scientist, and her team of experts run the Sanctuary. They try to help the Abnormals and learn from them. Working toward a peaceful existence between the humans and the Abnormals.