Outstanding world class science museum. Mostly technology oriented or applied science. It consist of five floors, with different themes: flight, energy, information age, mathematics, medicine, engineering, technicians, space, etc. Great place to bring the family and lots of hands-on exhibits for the kids as well as the adults. plan to spend a full day there. read more

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Okay, I didn't spend too much time here, but like a lot of London's museums it is free, which I have to admit is pretty awesome. This, as the name implies, is basically a science museum, and it is where you can find a couple of models of the difference engine created by Charles Babbage (though I'm not sure if they can be used, but apparently even though he never got to build it, it does work). It's pretty cool, and it's a great museum for those, like me, who are science heads. read more

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Wow! What a museum. And FREE! There was not too much for my 3 year old. He did enjoy the play area at the bottom. But as someone in the medical field- the medical floors were so fascinating. It was very neat. My son also did love the planes on the top floor. read more

It's pretty awesome that this place is free! Not only that, they also have free WiFi so if you are traveling and need WiFi access, this place is the one! There are plenty of things to see here that will keep you busy for hours. Multiple floors of interesting and educational displays to see. This place is located close to Hyde park, Kensington park, Natural museum, and walking distance to Harrods. Definitely should visit!!! read more

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I had a blast at the Science Museum in London. I work in tech and enjoyed learning about the history of computers, programming, and development. We also loved the cell phone display and picking out phones we had as teens and phones our parents had when we were kids. It reminded us that we're getting old when we saw our early 2000s phones in a museum! My husband and I are child-free adults, so if you have kids, your experience may vary. We saw our share of kids in the museum, but the exhibits weren't as interactive as some science museums I have visited (Amsterdam's comes to mind). The gift shop is super fun, so if you're visiting and shopping for souvenirs, I recommend it. Lots of nerdy gifts too! No matter what kind of science you're into, there's something for everyone here and it is worth a visit. read more

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Great place to visit on vacation aka holiday. It's free but definitely book tickets online before visiting I was surprised we were able to book on Friday to Attend on Saturday. read more

Science Museum - Wonderland small entry fee - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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This is an amazing museum, for both kids and adults. General Admission is free (not something we are used to in the US) and then special exhibitions are at an extra cost. We did the WonderLab and it was well worth the fee. Our 7 year old spent several hours learning and playing, we left for lunch, and came back for another couple of hours. Between the different interactive experiences in each of the seven zones, live experiments at the Chemistry Bar, and the demos led by the Explainers, you could spend a full day just in the WonderLab. The highlight was of course, the giant friction slides. I highly recommend this to kids of all ages! read more

Incredible experience! We have great museums in Denver, but nothing like this. The regular museum space has a ton of interactive stuff for kids of all ages. I especially liked the engineering and medical exhibits. My daughter had a lot of fun driving the underwater rover and the welding simulation. As tourists, we actually visited twice because it was so fun. The second day, we spent 6 hours just in the Wonderlab. You have to sign up ahead of time, but it is worth it. There are science presentations pretty much constantly to entertain and educate. You can re-enter, which allows you to get some food and let the fun keep going. Many, many thanks to the excellent staff at the Science Museum. read more

The museum has its share of informative displays, but I was disappointed by the limited number of interactive exhibits. To make matters worse, the few interactive elements available often required additional payments, which was a bit disheartening. On the positive side, the sections that were engaging provided insightful glimpses into various scientific realms. However, the lack of hands-on experiences and the additional charges for interactive activities left me feeling kind of bummed. read more

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I have no idea why this has such great reviews. It's completely awful. There are no real interactive games. It was truly boring. Skip this one. No pictures because everything was awful read more

It was an amazing experience. The WoWs came one after the other with the speed of a sub machine gun firing. It offers a captivating blend of entertainment and education. Its diverse exhibits, interactive displays, and commitment to showcasing scientific advancements make it a must-visit. Despite occasional crowds, the museum provides a stimulating journey through the evolution of science, making it a top choice for curious minds. read more

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Stopped in while in town on vacation. What a great museum. Definitely worth the time and money. They had so much and the displays were well done. Could have spent a lot longer without our three year old. Would highly recommend. Also looked like the natural history museum attached would be fun. read more

The Science Museum is one mainly geared for children, so I didn't get much out of it or find myself walking away with new information. The exhibits are all designed with kids below ten years old in mind. I strolled through for about an hour and tried to find the exhibits that were different, like the information technology one or the cars one, but I found the human biology one a complete waste of time, as it was just made up of basic computers that are meant to be interactive, but the activities on there were just stupid or didn't work. A couple exhibits weren't even open, but to add to that, there aren't signs that tell you so! You see it on the map, and you spend so much time looking for it, but unless you ask what the deal is, you're left in the dark. One thing that is frustrating about this museum is the layout. It wasted thirty minutes of my time trying to find certain things, because when you're on one side of the building, you can't get to the other side unless you come downstairs, walk to the other side, and go back up. There are also no signs that explain this, so you're stuck walking around on one part looking for the other, and since there isn't much staff walking around, you get really lost and waste time. One last thing was how dark most of the museum is. Why is it like a club in there? One point I did enjoy was the drawings of scientists in one of the cafes on the wall, but why is this not more emphasized in the actual museum? This was the only part that I saw actual recognition of these people! I'd only really suggest going to the Science Museum if you have very young children or if you are in the area and have time to kill. It's not a great museum, and it doesn't do a good job of teaching any area of the sciences. read more

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At first blush, the British Science Museum seemed rather superficial and catering too much to children, but after a while, the exhibits grew on you as you perused them more closely. While I found the exhibit on clocks and watches somewhat dry, I surprisingly found that my favorite exhibit turned out to be the Mathematics section. Instead of being full of tedious formulae, it was fascinating for its antique code encryption machines, calculating machines, early computers (and a glimpse of the future with a quantum computing chip), and tools for architects, builders, and insurance actuaries. Also quite interesting was the exhibit on medical research, another fascinating overview of the history and development of medicine. A particularly cool display: the early models of myoglobin protein. A flashier exhibit within the Museun is the popular Space Exploration section which was also pretty good with a full size LEM as a centerpiece and some cool satellites and spacecraft soaring overhead. The Science Museum is also free of charge like the Natural History Museum next door, though a donation is encouraged. For our family of 5, I forked over 20₤ and the docents were quite happy with that. read more

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Just looked at machinery and space flight exhibits. Nice cafe for lunch. I particularly liked seeing the first Ampex video recorder.

The Science Museum in South Kensington is a delightful and activity-packed science adventure great for kids and curious adults alike. The Museum spans multiple stories and covers topics such as steam energy, space travel, what it means to be human, climate science, aeronautics, cellular and internet technology, medicine, and more. There are a number of quirky exhibitions, such as an area dedicated to the history of clockmaking and clock science, and I spent 30 minutes watching six short videos documenting the artistic/scientific techniques of glassblowing, globe-making, mirror-polishing, and the like. Many of the areas had interactive activities (which in some cases were closed due to COVID, but in many were still open), which can provide educational entertainment for all ages. Depending on your comfort level with nudity, there may be a couple areas for you and/or your children to avoid. But this was minor. Overall a fun Museum celebrating science and hopefully inspiring new generations of scientists and engineers! read more

Another excellent London museum. Absolutely free to visit. We only had time for the networking exhibition on the second floor. It was a blast from the past, with old telephones, cable equipment, and networking and computer equipment. Funny to see these old computers that I used when I was my son's age now stored behind glass like some kind of ancient artifacts. We walked through the space exhibit, it looked very interesting too. You could easily spend a full day exploring here. They have special exhibits, lectures, and hands-on experiences throughout the day. read more

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I love science and I love this place! A word of advice, don't try to visit it all in one day or your head will implode! Loads of interesting and amazing stuff to see and discover!! I also love the fact that it is free (but donations are welcome) read more

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I'll be honest, I didn't find anything here super interesting. A lot of attractions are designed for kids and nothing really blows your mind. There were certainly some exhibits that I found intriguing, but I went through here in a couple hours and didn't really feel any need to come back. It is a free museum, which is nice, but they queue you up to ask you individually for a donation before entrance. read more

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This museum is a London classic! It has stuff for everybody no matter what your interest and even if you don't like science! You must goooo!!!!!! read more

Great museum. Took my daughter here today as she missed her schools trip earlier this week. Great place for all things science. It also has interactive areas for kids. read more

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Levels and levels of interesting activities. Long wait for the life so best to walk the stairs to each level. I think the cafe is on the top floor but I was not impressed. The rest room smells. The gift shop had interesting items. Worth the trip after visiting V&A museum. read more

We came here same weekend my friend was visiting, as along with various cafes, bars, and restaurants we also explored the museums!! We went to three over the weekend, and arguably my favorite experience was at the Science Museum :) It was my first time here too! I've been reading a lot lately so that made it easier to stop and actually read all the info signs by the exhibits - which I think really helps you get engaged and understand what's going on! They had various space engine, cars and trains section, satellites, rockets, and boats on the first floor. The next two floors are smaller, but more interactive - they're about gene splicing for instance, and various health advances we've made (a lot of them, I didn't even know about before!) You can also see older versions of yourselves sort of like in faceapp aha. Then the top floor is the most interactive of all, where you can try out the "being on a rocket" experience (seemed really turbulent) and there's a Wonderlab with all sorts of various experiments inside. Both of these attractions you have to pay for. We considered Wonderlab but were then told it's only for little kids aha ^^ read more

Another review for parents because, well, that's the lens I'm currently looking through. Short note for child-less adults: it's free, informative, and oriented toward you, first. If, on the other hand, your kid enters the place, starts looking at the exhibits and says something along the lines of, "I wish I could, you know, do something in here," you need to shell out the cash for the top floor, that's where the fun happens. Doing she did. Beginning with an interactive room where she learned how her eyes play tricks on the color spectrum, and followed with demonstrations on electricity, wind, centrifugal force, bubbles, magnets, and a random room where she took rides down slides, this singular floor kept her bouncing for the better part of two hours. The employees were informative and very good with children. Many British museums are a bargain with free admission, but when it comes to kiddos, you'll pay for this very good time. read more

Watt is love, baby don't Hertz me no more! I'm a bit sceptic of science museums. It's because of the atoms. They make up everything. This isn't one of the more world renowned museums of London. interesting and relevant mainly for children to learn the basic history and mechanisms of science and technology . Takes you back to the days when you went to your local science museums with school though. It's quite extensive, just not my favourite. It's free, you can donate if you want to. After my visit here I met up with a scientist and we went to the science bar, I ordered one H2O. My new friend ordered H2O too. Then he collapsed. read more

So if you want to go to a place where you will be put off having children for life, I would definitely recommend any of the London museums on a Saturday. I obviously completely understand parents taking their children to museums on the weekend but does there really have to be that many... Ok, I'm being mean. The Science Museum is a beautiful building filled with brilliantly preserved artefacts. I specifically like the wall of cars. It is perfect for both adults and children alike and seeing faces light up with intrigue and delight is wonderful. We only stayed for about an hour as in honesty we couldn't cope anymore but we're definitely going to head back for one of their Lates nights. Adults only and alcohol served - happy days! I would definitely recommend seeing the cravings exhibition. It's small but interesting and it real delves into the ways in which we think and feel about food! Something which I find personally fascinating. Highly recommend it, just not on a weekend! read more

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Absolutely love this museum! They have so many exhibits and areas which are constantly changing and expanding. You could easily spend all day in here and not get bored. There are also five cafés and restaurants inside the museum, so you won't go hungry. They're of course a touch on the expensive side, but there are also two picnic areas where you can eat you own food, so if you're on a budget, you can bring something from home. The museum is free, but they do usually ask for donations. Do give a generous donation if you can as they are doing fantastic work and deserve all the help they can get! If you have the chance, do attend a Science Museum Lates event, which happen every last Wednesday of the month. These events are free, run from about 7-10 and are so much fun! There is usually a theme for each Lates event and free talks, demonstrations, crafts and films are offered to teach you more about the selected theme. These events are fantastic, I've never been disappointed by one! Bring friends if you can! The museum also has several areas dedicated to children where they can explore and play. Downstairs in the basement is the "garden", which holds a large play area with water tables, foam blocks, climbing areas, music and light exploration and more. On the ground level towards the back by the escalators to the imax you'll find a sensory exploration area that's fun for younger kids and a few floors up by thr launchpad is a fantastic area for older kids where they can experiment, play and discover. There are also hourly science shows with different themes up by the launchpad every day. Overall, this is probably my favourite museum in all of London! read more

Science Museum - Brilliant #colourblast at the science museum! @sciencemuseum #yelplife - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

The best way to see the Science Museum is going to the Science Museum Lates. On the last Wednesday of each month you can go after hours and avoid all the kids and the panic of their normal opening hours. They hold special exhibitions and activities, workshops to make things, science demonstrations and talks. You can also have a few drinks (bring cash) and explore the normal areas of the museum which are now a bit more empty. The event has now regular visitors who go every month for all the new things they put on so it's a great chance to also see the regular collections uninterrupted. I personally recommend trying out the workshops though because they are always good fun. They also have a silent disco so you can just go in and dance if you like. In any case, it's a very fun museum and it's definitely worth a visit no matter which time you choose to go. read more

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I generally liked this museum, though there were a few aspects that made me go from love to really like. Cost: The museum itself is free, though you go past a register with "Suggested Donation £5" signs that strongly encourage the fee, and 3-5 of the exhibits do require a separate admission fee. School kid: Even in July, it was very busy with school groups during the week. Though many are well behaved, it made certain moments a bit challenging. Staircases: One Tip about navigating the museum - Be careful about which staircases you use, since some don't allow you to exit on the 1st floor, and the 2nd floor doesn't connect all exhibits. The exhibits themselves are laid out pretty well amongst the floors. A few specific ones to mention: - Exploring Space (ground floor): It has huge life size items, including rocket engines hanging from the ceiling, which are amazing to see, and also a real piece of the moon. However, the exhibitions are very dimly lit, so reading about some of them proved difficult. - Making the Modern World (ground floor): Has a lot of smaller exhibits on side, but big draws are the life size cars, trains, and airplanes throughout, including Ford Model T car (1916), Lockheed Electra plane (1935), Apollo 10 craft (1969), 1-2 person cars from 1950s, and a plethora of other exhibits - Our Lives in Data (ground floor): Smaller exhibit that explores how data is being used, and I really appreciated the real-life relatabiliry. For example, it discussed how data is used from Oyster transit cards to see stations' busiest times, and how this data is used for forecasting, along with posing questions about privacy. - Flight (3rd floor): Lots of life sized airplanes and engines, from WW II military to early 1900s planes to a corporate jet. One plane to find us Vickers Way (toward middle), since this was the first plane used to cross the Atlantic in 1919. (It gives more appreciation for today's carriers!) There is a platform in the middle to get a better vantage point, but at times it was hard to find the information boards. - Information Age (2nd floor): This is a very noisy floor, with lots of different t sounds and music playing from the different exhibits. If that kind of thing drives you mad, I recommend skipping this part, because it is a bit distracting. - Cosmos & Culture (1st floor): This has smaller items on display, which goes above and around the ground floor exhibits. Children may be less enthusiastic here, since a lot centers on clockmaking and sundials. read more

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We found ourselves with an extra day in London thanks to a flight snafu, and decided to spend a few hours at the Science Museum. Partly because it's free, and partly because we're nerds. The highlight, without a doubt, was the "Churchill's Science" exhibit. Everyone knows a little bit about Churchill, even Americans with U.S.-centric history classes, but I had no idea how fascinated he was with science, and how much this spurred the development of not only the atomic bomb and related projects, but everything from antibiotics to radio. Plus, his "siren suit" is on display and it's awesome. Other areas were interesting, but perhaps more geared to kids. I did enjoy the medical history section, the Information Age exhibit, and the exhibit with lots of historical engines. The gigantic steam engine on the entry level is awesome, and it's amazing that it's functional, but be aware that when they turn it on, it gets incredibly warm on the upper levels. It was very crowded on a summer Saturday afternoon, but that's to be expected. Access from the Tube was very easy from a long tunnel connecting museums. Not my all-time favorite museum or my favorite in London, but still an excellent way to kill a few hours! read more

Science Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

Science! Tons and tons of it! I had been to this museum back in 2007 (before Yelp?) and was in the neighborhood so I stopped by to see what had changed. While a few things were exactly as they were back then (apparently the Concorde is still flying and the 747 is the largest passenger plane), there were still a number of new exhibits that impressed me. One whole area on "Plasticity" was interesting, going into depth of how much plastic does in our lives - from Barbie dolls to furniture and more. Lots of climate change displays on the human impact on our planet were especially interesting and quite insightful. If you do it right, the Science museum is an all day event. You can easily spend 5 or 6 hours walking through each of the exhibits. Most of the museum is completely free - only some of the premium movies and such are an extra cost. read more

I was visiting the UK to do a little research about my hero Alan Turing, and one of the first places I hit was the Science Museum. Not only is their mathematics gallery informative, interactive, and fun, but they actually have rebuilds of, are rebuilding, or have built Babbage's difference engine and mechanical computers. They also have the Pilot ACE (one of the first electronic computers) that was completed based on Turing's designs. The shop is a lot of fun, too, with all kinds of gadgets and toys to inspire creativity in the kids or to make the geek in you go crazy. I highly recommend a trip and with free admission, how can you go wrong? read more

Science Museum - The Pilot ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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An excellent overview of modern man's quest to develop technology. Although, we, as a species have a long way to go. One has to admit that we have moved the needle quite a distance in less than a century. This museum highlights many of those strides. Every school child should visit just so they understand how far we have come and how new the the technology they take for granted really is! read more

Came for the Aircraft exhibits and was not disappointed. While not even 1/10 the size of the RAF, USAF, or Smithsonian Air and Space Museums, the aircraft and engines displayed are extremely significant. From the actual first aircraft to cross the Atlantic, the Vickers Vimy to the first British jet aircraft, the collection is superb. There are also a Spitfire and a Hurricane hanging from the rafters along with a number of other exhibits. You can get pretty close to those aircraft from an elevated walkway that traverses the exhibit hall. It also houses a huge collection of early jet and piston engines from WWI and WWII up to the present. The rest of the museum has various types of machinery and other items like a steam boiler used for the earliest steam engines used in English mines and the Apollo 10 Command module. If you are interested in Engineering and the Sciences, this is the best of the great free museums in London. Don't forget to make a donation to keep them free. read more

My least favorite museum I visited in London. Maybe if you're a true science geek, you'll enjoy it. I was a biology major and almost-chemistry minor in college and I did not. There was a long exhibit running around an entire floor that focused on developing technology in the 20th century and how London got through the wars. The only thing I liked was a Vivienne Westwood creation that was more fashion than science. But it was mostly for kids I think even worse than Boston's Science Museum which I also don't enjoy because it's strongly geared towards kids. Perhaps if I came on adult nights with free food, it would change my mind. read more

Science Museum - Science Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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It is hard to find an excuse to visit the Science Museum if you don't have kids, so the best time to go is when you are babysitting. Though children do seem to get bored rather quickly looking at the non-interactive exhibits. I still love Launch Pad, the interactive area, which has changed location numerous times since I was a child. There are all sorts of different experiments to try and lots of knowledgeable staff ready to explain them. There are also science lessons presented in an entertaining format that encourages audience participation, which are great for children to learn about a specific topic. The rest of the museum has a range of themes, from the History of Medicine to Shipping Through the Ages, with many of the exhibitions being permanent. Trying to see the entire museum is definitely an all day project, and is perfect on a wet winter day. However, you might want to try and take in the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum on the same day and just concentrate on a few areas. read more

Science Museum - Launch Pad - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

I've been to many museums however the Science Museum is really one of a kind. To start off it's huge and to move around you do need to carry a map. It is a real treat for science lovers as apart from the usual sightseeing ( and the collection is breath taking) one can also take part in some scientific experiments. Not to mention the so called 'lates' events on Wednesday evenings. Whoever came up with the idea is a genius!!! There are countless varieties of things to do and see. I really enjoyed getting a space astronaut photos done during one of the events and will come back one day to try out the flight stimulators. The place has bars open at least during the 'lates' so it is common for visitors to stroll around the exhibits with a drink. Check it out! They also have silent disco which is real fun :) read more

Science Museum - In space after a few shots of cachaca - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

This would probably be a great place to take your children while visiting London, however, as an adult science lover, I was a little let down by my visit. The layout of the museum is terribly confusing. Not all staircases or lifts go to every floor. It's also really quite dark throughout most of the museum, which can make it difficult to see. There were a fair amount of hands-on kid centric activities, which at the time of my visit were dominated by school groups. There is a temporary exhibit called The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution that was fascinating. I spent about an hour in there and an hour in the rest of the museum. It's free, but you will be asked to make a donation as you walk in. Since it doesn't cost anything, it's probably worth checking out if you have some time to kill, but there are other, better museums in London. read more

I don't have kids, so my review is heavily biased as an adult science nerd. The top floor, which has a very serious exhibition on medical sciences (from the Henry Wellcome Legacy) was my favourite part of this museum. The exploration into various kinds of medical belief systems over the years is fascinating. I suspect that this may have been a temporary exhibition though. The medical tableaus on the lower floor are a little cheesy, but they do help you visualise how medicine has been practiced over the ages. The sections on clocks, challenge of materials, development of computers (Charles Babbage brain is on display!) and the secret life of the home - in the basement were my other favourite sections. None of these sections had buttons to push and hence were low priority on kiddie itineraries. The sections that did have buttons to push and were more child friendly were scenes of frenetic and boisterous energy and hence I avoided them. I had braved walking into this museum to specifically visit the temporary exhibition "Cravings", but that was quite a disappointment. While they do have a restaurant on the ground floor, it is still open to the museum around it and its not really a place where you can gather your thoughts or reflect. There are multiple other cafes across the museum, all run by Benugo offering standard museum cafe food. Personally, this is not a museum that I would return to, unless there was a really special temporary exhibit. But I can see why it would be considered a great outing for kids. However, this is one museum I will not volunteer to accompany any of my friends with offspring. I will wait for them at the V&A opposite. read more

Out of all the museums on museum row, this one is my least favourite. It is lovely enough but wasn't hands on enough for my likes. I am a very tactile person and reading about science and looking at the exhibits wasn't really my cup of tea. I wanted to be able to do more experimentation. The IMAX theater is a nice trip though and I went here several times with friends. read more