The London Museum of Science is one of the most famous in the world. Many exhibits of the museum are absolutely unique. Here you can see the oldest Puffing Billy steam engine, built by William Gadley, the Apollo 10 capsule, in which astronauts circled the moon, the Boeing 747 aircraft in cross section and much more interesting and exciting.
Museum History
The Museum of Natural Sciences in London began its work in 1857 with the opening of exhibition collections of modern and historical equipment. The museum was opened in South Kensington, on the site where the Victoria and Albert Museum is now located - the largest exhibitions and exhibitions of arts and crafts and design.
In 1862, science collections were moved to a separate building on Exhibition Road. Later, the old building was demolished, and the construction of a new project began. Now the Museum of Science consists of four buildings and occupies 30 thousand square meters. In this vast territory 53 various collections are exhibited.
Museum work
Entrance to the museum is absolutely free, but tickets may be required only for special exhibitions and events.
Opening hours: daily from 10:00 to 18:30. Galleries begin to close 30 minutes before the museum closes.
Getting to the museum is very easy. The nearest metro station is South Kensington, a short walk away. Bus routes 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430 stop at South Kensington Underground Station. There is no dedicated parking lot near the museum, and the nearest parking lot is near the Prince Consort Road Hotel.
Science Museum Address (London): Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD.
Level 1: Baby Shows
Visiting this level will be interesting for families with young children. After all, kids will have something to do here.
Exhibitions:
- The Garden is an interactive gallery where kids can explore the main areas: construction, water, sound, light, etc. - through the game.
- The Secret life of the Home is an exhibition where the history of the development of household appliances is traced.
Also at this level there is a picnic area, a cafe.
Level 2: space objects and technology
On this floor there is also a shop, cafe, dressing room and information desk.
Exhibitions:
- Making the Modern World is an exhibition of iconic objects that have changed the life of mankind over the past 250 years: from Apollo 10 to the first Apple computer.
- Energy Hall - the history of steam engines of British industry, the workshop of the famous engineer James Watt and the steam turbine Charles Parson.
- Wounded: Conflict, Casualties and Care - This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of the First World War and tells about the development of medicine of that time.
- Exploring Space - here you can study space, rockets and satellites, landing probes and other interesting objects. The exhibition shows how you can live in space - breathe, eat, drink and sleep. This small exhibition explores the story behind the creation of a space rocket.
- Pattern Pod is an exciting interactive exhibition for children under 8 years old. Here, children can explore the world around them, create their own symmetrical images on touch screens, jump on water without wetting their feet.
- Tomorrow's World - amazing science stories and the biggest breakthroughs in science.
- IMAX Cinema - invites you to immerse yourself in the exciting world of 3D movies on one of the largest screens in the UK.
Level 3: Interactive Halls
Exhibitions:
- Challenge of Materials - here you can explore modern materials, precious stones and strange unusual objects made of cotton, wood, glass, as well as titanium alloys.
- Who am i? - the exhibition invites you to get acquainted with a person, to find out how the voice sounds, which makes people smile, how visitors will look in old age, and much more.
Level 4: medicine and math
Exhibitions:
- Illuminating India is a study of Indian innovations in science, technology and mathematics.
- The Clockmakers' Museum is the world's oldest collection of watches and clockworks. Here you can see sea timepieces, sundials and examples of expert hand-made engraving.
- Energy - an interactive gallery is a great place for children to explore how energy feeds every aspect of modern life. Where does the energy come from? What does electricity look like? All this can be found in the gallery "Energy".
- Journey Through Medicine - This exhibition shows prehistoric surgical instruments and modern medical equipment.
- Mathematics, a gallery designed by Zaha Hadid, examines the fundamental role of mathematics in building the modern world.
- Information Age - here you can find out how over 200 years of innovation in the field of information and communication technologies have changed our lives, from the first communication across the ocean to the dawn of digital television.
- Atmosphere - an interactive gallery allows you to delve into the history of climate change on Earth.
Level 5: exhibitions for the whole family
Exhibitions:
- Wonderlab The Statoil Gallery - Find entertainment with live science shows to help you understand the sciences that shape the world.
- Fly zone - all about the fuel with which the equipment works. The exhibition offers to conduct a flight simulator on an airplane with motion effects.
- Space Descent VR is an exciting journey deep into the earth with virtual reality effects.
- Flight - unique life-size aircraft models that hang in the air. This exhibition explores advances in aviation: from early airplanes to modern giant liners.
- Engineer your future is an interactive exhibition for teenagers where you can play science games, test complex technical systems and watch a movie about the work of engineers.
Interesting points
At the Museum of Science (London), photos can only be taken with small cameras for private and non-commercial purposes. In places where photo and video shooting is limited, warning signs will hang.
For children, the museum hosts a unique Astronaut Night, when a child can spend the night in a gallery where exciting events will take place. In the morning, a hot breakfast awaits you.
Museum Tours
The museum hosts a number of interesting excursions to galleries, where visitors are invited to interact with the exhibits through sound, sight and tactile. Museum tours depend on specific interests and may include visits to any galleries and objects.
For example, now in the museum you can choose one of three topics to choose from:
- "Technology and our world."
- "Research and discovery."
- "Treasures of the science museum."
The price of the tour can also include morning snacks, offers for lunch in a restaurant or afternoon tea.
Where to eat and relax?
The Museum of Science has a number of family cafes and restaurants serving fresh and tasty dishes:
- The Diner - hamburgers, salads and desserts. Opening hours from 11:00 to 15:00.
- Energy Café - hot and cold dishes, pizzas, salads and sandwiches. Opening hours from 10:00 to 17:30.
- Gallery Café - vegetarian dishes, salads, drinks. Opening hours: 10: 00-17: 00.
- Basement Café - Coffee and tea, packed lunches and ice creams. Opening hours: 11: 00-15: 00.
- Shake Bar - delicious milkshakes and ice cream. Opening hours: 11: 00-15: 00.
- Picnic Areas - here you can bring your own food and drinks and have a picnic on a special terrace.
Museum Library
The museum has an excellent library dedicated to museum research, history and biographies of scientists. The library is equipped with a reading room with comfortable armchairs, desks for work and computers for access to digital material.
Visitors reviews
Tourists who visited the museum note that this is a very interesting place, which will take a whole day to study. The building is very conveniently located, right in the center of London, admission is free for both children and adults. But in order to visit the laboratories and experience the state of weightlessness, you will need to buy a ticket. At the upper levels, some exhibitions are also paid. The expositions are impressive for their scale, many interactive rooms. It should be borne in mind that the information in the Museum of Science (in London) is in English, that is, all signs and instructions for interactive stands, historical notes and exhibit names will be in English.
There are several cafes in the building where you can relax and share your impressions. In the store at the museum you can buy unusual souvenirs and gifts.