Now one of my favorite museums as we can bring all ages and everyone pretty much has something to entertain them. My we brought kids aged 7, 12, and 15. Each had a sections that were interactive and educational...and fun. The food in the cafe was not pure junk food but had real options, though museum prices. During the holiday season there is an ice skating rink and carousel between the Science Museum and Natural Histoy Museum. A must see that will eat up almost a whole day if you let it. read more

I could spend weeks in London ogling exhibits at old medical museums. There is just so much medical history here, I am at a loss for words. As a student of public health, I had to visit. It didn't disappoint, especially given that it was free. London museums are the best. read more

Went with the family and girlfriend down the Science Museum one rainy sunday and found it to be an entirely pleasurable experience. We specifically went to see a photographic exhibition but found ourselves caught up on each floor looking at all this ingenious science and invention! Each floor has particular themes and shows the path of science throughout time. The top floor has medical science which is often fascinating to see. I particularly enjoy the fact that the musuem often opens up late and you can dress up as a cockroach and run around! There are lots of coffee shop/cafes placed sporadically around either ends/floors of the museum if you get tired and fancy a drink. Its a lovely day out for a couple of hours and if you fancy a long day, you can hop into the Natural History or the V&A next door. Visited October 2013 read more

I think that this place could be better. It's more like a twentieth century museum. Everything is stationary, and kind of boring, but it's free. read more

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I've been to the Science museum several times. The first on my own, the second with a friend and finally with as a group of three with myself and two children. The museum is extremely easy to navigate and the maps are labelled so that even the most directionally challenged can find the right floor and section. The exhibits are interactive and really allow everyone a chance to understand and get involved in learning. On my own I found that the museum is great for wandering around and seeing different exhibits that interest you. While with a friend you can really get involved and act a bit silly even as an adult. The children sections can be a bit loud but there are a ton of activities and planned presentations for them to take part in throughout the day. read more

For those of you looking to visit the Science Museum I highly recommend you go on a weekday in order to avoid London and their families attending. That said, the Science Museum is a brilliant place to bring your kids and show them the world of science and technology. In fact, there is a wonderful exhibit on the ground floor which goes through machinery and it's evolution over time. If that's not for you, how about space? Yes! Everyone loves space! If you wander to the store you can by your kids (aka yourself because you don't have any children but need an excuse) some astronaut ice-cream and a 3D printing pen to keep you busy when you get home. read more

Hmmmm science! I love the science museum, these guys are great, they throw awesome events and just don't take themselves seriously. I was dying to go to another one of their awesome Lates and last night was on the topic of Sexuality. Raawwwr. They fill the place with fun loving young Londoners, dotted a few pop up bars around the place and set up a silent disco. Best of all, it's free! How great is that! I danced like a fool to my heart's content in the disco, giggled with strangers and was charmed by the staff. For science! read more

There are many things London does well, but they can truly crank the hell out of a museum. Seriously, the science museum is fabulous, in all manners of the word. It is huge, stylish and fills you with a feeling of grandeur. It makes learning about the intricacies of science fun. Some smarty pants decided on throwing late night science parties. Once again... FABULOUS! It is free (expect long queues though) and late into the night you can enjoy the museum with a beer or glass of wine in your hand, marvel at some of the interactive exhibitions and shows, and best of all take part in the silent disco. "Silent what...?" Yep, a silent disco, and I'll tell you what... yeah you guessed it, that's fabulous too. Seriously, it doesn't matter whether your twelve or eighty-two, the Science Museum is definitely worth a visit. read more

Yes... its free.... and it does have some cool stuff. All you brits... please don't be unhappy with me for giving this place 3 stars... 3 isn't bad. But for me... 3 stars for a free museum is quite under par, they could do better, and if it means that they charge a little bit, then so be it.. improve the experience. Basement - kids area. Water area was cool, but not nearly as cool as the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose. Again... not a knock, but evidence that it can be done better, and possibly might need to be updated. The space exhibits were interesting, but were the same from a couple years ago when I first saw them... and from the US point of view, seems confined and dark? Maybe add in a planetarium show to go with it? Academy of Sciences in SF is newer and cooler. My daughter wanted to go to the history of medicine area....... which.. frankly... was really quite sad. I don't know what the deal is with the big cone-shaped thing in the middle of that exhibit is, maybe the exhibit has been moved around a couple times and that was already there? Its not hard to imagine that exhibit being the same for the past 20 years. Sure.. that portion of history doesn't change, but ....yer showing some movie about scientists doing child development from back in the 60s? The lifts(elevators) were broken.... again... The one IMAX show that my daughter would have been willing to watch wasn't showing.... Don't get me wrong.. there are some cool things about this place... but at the same time... to keep par with the rest of the museums in London, let alone with the rest of the world, expect more!!!! read more

In London you truly are spoilt for choice when it comes to FREE and wonderful museums. Due to this The Science Museum, situated in the middle of two other glorious museums, the Natural History and the V & A, isn't always my first port of call. Don't get me wrong, it is a brilliant Museum and I would highly recommend taking your children. However, upon visiting at the weekend I saw a fascinating current exhibit called 'Listening Posts', not recommended for children due to it's uncensored content. It takes the form of a large scale art installation, consisting of numerous small monitor screens with real time text from chat rooms across the world wide web, Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin have created "a dynamic portrait of online communication, displaying uncensored fragments of text, sampled in real time, from public Internet chat rooms and bulletin boards". The screens filter and order fragments of text into scenes akin to movements in a symphony. It is an amazing exhibit illustrating the current sound of the Internet and mesmerising if, like me, you find this crazy Internet age truly wondrous. read more

This is a good museum- not great. If I was a kid maybe it would have been more exciting. The Air and Space Smithsonian is much more impressive. read more

Like Yee Gan, being a geek and a scientist, I was also looking forward to the British Science Museum and was also sorely disappointed. Sure it was big and had lots of exhibits. But it was soooooo boring!! THIS is the reason that most people non-scientific find science boring! I mean, sure it's free so I should appreciate it. But free should not equate to dull. I went to a science museum in Valencia, Spain and it was so much more exciting! So much more interactive. And everything was explained well enough for both a science-y and non-science-y person to understand, and not dumbed down either. Plus, it was fun! i.e. there was a Marvel Comics superheroes exhibit that explained the "scientific nature" of the superhero powers etc. This is what a science museum should be like. And exactly what the British Science museum isn't. read more

Love, love, love the Science Museum! Unlike some of the other reviewers, I actually quite *like* the austerity, dryness, and non-interactivity of this museum. Part of what I find so exciting about science is the history of it and the sense of awe and humility I get from thinking about things so much bigger and more complex than my puny little life, so the fact that the Science Museum is a building that houses a lot of STUFF, rather than millions of interactive exhibits, is just fine with me. Plus my husband is a huge space nerd, so I had my very own wanna-be docent, giving me wonderful, super-excited lectures (ad nauseum) about the rockets and models that the Space Gallery is packed with. He was like an excited 6-year-old at the zoo. We decided to visit the museum in the mid-afternoon on a Sunday. We went to the IMAX 3-D Deep Sea movie, which was awesome but left us little time to see much more. We'd both been here before, but our spongy little brains were thirsty for more SCIENCE!!!(tm) so we're already stoked about returning next weekend. read more

I remember this place as a child being uber fascinating. It used to be free I remember, it may be again now. It always captivated my scientific senses. The cool thing was the area where you actually got to see "science in action" whether it was pedalling a bike to generate electricity or the sand mechanical contraption. Clearly these have been updated since I was last there but coming again more recently..... Many things had changed but it still had the same feel from when I came on a school trip. It's worth a revisit every so often as it is vast and trying to see it all completely in a day is almost sheer madness! Probably one of my fav. musuems in London, of which there are plenty to choose from! read more

Really cool museum that is full of interesting bits of science related to modern inventions to things that occur in nature. I have been here a few times, including the Science Lates evening. For adults this is the only way to do it! No kids running around, screaming, and getting in the way of reading signs. The layout is a bit awkward, with the long strech of museum at the back and then having to come back to go up to the other levels. However it is worth wandering around each section to see what is around the corner. One of my favourite exhibits is the "what does the internet sound like." I also really enjoyed the space exhibit... actually I enjoyed most of the exhibits! read more

London is famous for their museums. They have all kinds of museums, and the best part is the majorities of them are FREE. We spent a few hours here. It was very interesting to check out all the science advances over the last decade read more

Went to the special event Science museum holds called "Science museum lates" last night (last Wednesday of every month). Already my third time here and second time at lates, so not quite new to me, but still had fun! Basically, science museum lates is 6:45pm-10pm and it's just for adults, so there are no kids screaming and running around wildly. Also, wine/beer is served! It's free to go in and look around for the most part, but several of the more interactive rides and imax costs money. The coolest floor by far was the "launchpad" (3rd floor). They have a bunch of little games and experiments set up about light, electricity, sound, etc. Only bad thing is that there's a massive queue to enter (but it goes at a decent speed, we probably waited 10-15 min) and because it's so packed, you have to wait here and there to have your go at the games. Educational and fun.. and you can buy astronaut ice cream in the gift shop before you leave!! read more

It doesn't matter if you like science or not - I hated it when I was at school - as this museum makes science fun. I wouldn't even call it a museum as this makes it sound dull. It's interactive and you learn stuff about sound and transport and space and there's so much info about computers through the ages (which I really geek out about). There are many floors of exhibits so you can zoom past what you don't care about and spend hours browsing space and IT (like me). On the way, staff carry out experiments to show you cool things and everyone is super friendly. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is for the quality of it's restaurants - take a packed lunch and it will be healthier and cheaper!! And also because the space exhibit at NASA in Florida was better, and compared to that this one felt flat. read more

I used to go here every weekend -gave it a rest for about a year and last weekend went back with child in tow. Just how amazing is the water section for kids ?? The basement has alot on interactive areas including the water fountain / scupture / trough thingy! There is a wall of supposably water proof flurescent ponchos in varying sizes for the children to put on which never really keep them dry -- you inevitalbly have a wet child at the end of it !! This has to be one of the most popular spots in London for kids or it certainly feels like it . It is so crowded and the water section is only one part. This museum is amazing and even more incredibly free! The kids know this is for them and they seem to really react to the space - or mine does --maybe it is living in the east end that does that! read more

The Science Museum probably brings out the worse in me since I always find myself starting to flutter about like an hyperactive toddler whenever I venture there. From the moment you walk in, there is so much to look at. There are two interactive places that are definitely worth checking out here. The first is located in the basement of the museum, but is only recommended to super geeks like me, who like to 'push buttons' to find out what happens. Be aware, however, that you will have fight for your turn with the real toddlers out there. The second is located on one of the mezzanines (I believe it is on the 2nd floor) and involves a series of interactive video works. Have you ever imagined what you would look like as the opposite sex? Or perhaps what you will look like in 40 years? Well, this section has all your answers and more since it has a series of educational 'games' that will take you through several of life's natural journeys. I would also recommend the lit up science cafe within the museum which serves a good coffee and a selection of cakes. read more

Like "A brief history of nearly everything" come to life. Without Bryson's annoying narrative. It will bring out the kid in you. Love. read more

Science Museum lates I briefly went around the museum before a late night cinema one off event at the IMAX that I was attending (Edible Cinema). Even though this was the evening the museum was packed full of people it was quite overwhelming. There was mini things going on through out the night through out the museum from a red arrow flight simulator experience to a silent disco. Just too many too list. I however tried to go around the museum to see what they had to display and the what history they had to say about the items they displayed. I managed to get to see about old transportation such as how tractors, cars, planes, ships etc, phones/mobile phones (this made me feel old) and computers/consoles such as playstation (again I felt old and I am only 40). It was all very interesting however I found the layout to get to certain locations/rooms was a bit of a mind field/maze which really confused me and many other people that I passed. Even the staff was not always able to direct us the right way and sometimes we had to go down stairs then across then up again odd. This is the reason why I am giving this museum just 3 stars. read more

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I love the diversity of the exhibitions at the science museum. There is simply so much to see there and something for everyone. And it FREE! I'd recommend taking some time here to fully look around, although I think to see everything you'd have to spend a few days here - there is so much to see and do! I am particularly keen on the lates which are adult focused, however I find that the lectures are usually very busy and hard to get into. The more popular ones may take a long queue to get into. However as a free event, I think it's worth it and beats a night in with the TV. The museum is also great for children in the daytime with lots of interactive activities and it's great to see them fascinated with the exhibits. I have a soft spot for the steam engines and love the geometric / mathematic exhibition. It's a great place to take new people or visitors of the city, but also a great place to go to look around; even if you've been before, there is always something new to see. My only gripe is that it's just SO expensive to eat in the cafes. I suggest getting a bite or drink in a local café before you go in. read more

Im not into science but this museum really made me feel like a kid. There are some great installations and interactions. You can easily spend a day here! read more

Science Museum - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

I'm not even going to bother trying to explain this place. Go see for yourself. It's f aching tastic! PS: They have moon rock -- and no, it's not a conspiracy (and you can see it for free!) read more

London's most exciting museum, I've visited SM since I was a little girl and still love it as much now as I did then. This is in no small part thanks to the interactive features. The basement used to be the kid friendly area back in the 80s but now there's a whole Wellcome wing designed to get kids and adults involved in science. Find out what you might look like as a 90 year old, scan your retina and generally do all types of amaizng things. As well as that you can learn all about space and trains to name but a few. Hurrah. The worst thing is the long walk down a bypass from South Kensington tube which I have nicknamed 'the underpass of DOOM'. It's really long, and rubbish! read more

I went to London in the Winter of 2007 and was excited to visit all the free museums. The Science Museum is fantastic! So much to see but so little time that I ended up coming back twice. It's a great place to learn around a variety of things. I spent the majority of one morning in this museum and loved it! My favorite parts were all the interactive activities they had with the screens relating to the future. Very nice! If you're in London, you MUST stop by The Science Museum. It's easy to get here via London Underground, you won't regret it! read more

My husband and I visited the Science Museum specifically to see the the 1001 Inventions which ends tomorrow. It was probably not the best idea to have walked there (it took us about 40 minutes) and in the rain too, as by the time we reached the museum, we were tired, frustrated with the weather and hungry. The Cafe was busy and the food unappealing, so we headed for the exhibition instead, which was fantastic; educational and truly inspiring. Great for children too with all its puzzles and interactive games. I would have liked to have seen more, but my rumbling stomach was directing me elsewhere. I'll definitely be going back though. read more

I went for the recent Lates event and it was a really good night, especially considering it was free of charge. A silent disco in the Maths department, torch-light quest on the 5th floor not to mention wine and themed cocktails. The best thing about it is that there are no children, so you can enjoy the museum in a different way to usual. I'd definitely go back and probably take a few more friends with me. read more

This museum has a bunch of science stuff. It is mostly based around engineering; not as much biology/chemistry. As a software engineer, I was fascinated by the timeline from basic circuits to the internet and cell phones depicted in the communications section. I would recommend stopping by if you have some time. read more

I love the Science Museum.it reminds me of my childhood in a way that nothing else. My Dad used to always take us at christmas time, and it was always a great day out.. Having been there as an adult, I still love it, and there is never a dull moment inside! Lots to do, and its all made fun so you dont feel like your at school! read more

I had serious Museum envy. I went to see the Babbage Engine, and where they were building the Babbage Engine that would be sent to my museum. The area with all the Mathematics and Computation items was awesome! I am a Computer Historian, so your mileage may vary, but the old Leo, the other lesser-known computers were really cool, and I dig old Museum vibe the place gives off. The best exhibit is the Making the Modern World, with things like the old Locomotives, cars and boats, various motors, the Pilot ACE and Cray-1 computers, The Clock of the Long Now, various medical machines, an original VCR and a few other devices that I really dug. It was an awesome exhibit. Oddly, I ran into the Curator of my museum there when I visited! Totally unexpected! They've got a nice cafe on the ground floor and I thought the rest of the museum was really nice. read more

What a great FREE day out. Visited with my 11 yr old son & we both thoroughly enjoyed it, even though he was protesting about having to visit a museum prior to getting there. We paid to visit the 'Wallace & Gromit' exhibition, which I didn't consider to be value for money (considering how much there is already on hand to see & do). On the whole, highly recommended & well worth a visit. read more

I only recently heard about Science Museum Lates - basically the museum hold adult only events once a month, and it's free entry! This one I went to was on the 28th of October and the theme was 'Sex & Science'. It started at 6:45, but the queues went on for ages, so I'd suggest getting there earlier. The majority of the crowd seemed quite young early 20's/30's. There's a bar area and hot food is also served, the drinks were reasonably priced. I went with a group of 3 guys, and we decided to do the speed-dating event which was organised by Xfactordates. I admit that I was nervous at the thought, and it was in a science museum! However, I was pleasantly surprised, and although I didn't meet 'Mr Right', me & the boys had a great time. There was also an opportunity to get your grove on in the silent disco, but sadly I missed that opportunity. Definitely up for doing it again, the first one for 2010 is on January 27th and the theme is Eastern Science. To learn more about the Science Museum Late Events go to their website: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/events/events_for_adults/Lates.aspx read more

What a great day out. I recently visited with my two children, Both found facts that appealed to them. The History of Medicine floor was excellent. The operating theatre was amazing. The glass bridge provided the most fun. If you can visit the IMAX cinema. The screen is enormous. Worth a visit. Benjisfones read more

where can you take a one year old in london? Something interactive? something FREE? The basement of the Science Museum takes a little bit of navigating to find, but well worth it. The specially designed section for toddlers is a multi-sensory play area where the little people can let loose and bang drums, splash in water or play with building blocks. It was a complete success. Perhaps maybe our little one year old was a tad too young to fully appreciate all the play centres... but i think he (and defo me the big kid) really enjoyed it. the only problem was gettin the little fella out of there at home time!! read more

As we entered the Science Museum we made our way through the security line. In reality it was a person behind a counter checking bags. It was not very sophisticated and they didn't even look at our pram or the bags that were under it. Overall, very unimpressive security. As you progress into the museum and down a ramps the first encounter is with a large circular wheel that has digital light wrapping around it. Itis suspened within a 3 story atrium. The red backdrop of the ceiling gives it a very futuristic feel. Immediately on your left are some fine exhibits of some of the first steam machines. They are exquisite in the detail and they seem to suggest a period which is not long ago, almost as if you could remeber it if you think back early enough in your childhood. There is also a large red milling machine which looks as though if it could be packaged smaller it would be able to fit under the hood of your car. We paused in this inspiring space to allow our 3 year old girl to grasp it, afterall this day was about her. After managing to find the bathrooms which are bit discreetly located in back corridor, we first visted the Pattern Pod, "a hands-on gallery that was created especially for children 5-8 year of age and their parents" (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk ) One section of this area is devoted to prints -- duck feet, dog paws, a jumping robot and a baby crawling. These prints are layed out on the floor and then light up in red when a child properly replicates their movement. Then their are corresponding shapes and pictures of the four on the wall. The portion that I thought was the coolest (parent speaking here) was a small kiosk with clear plastic shards (smooth), each with a pattern on it. Once you take this shard and place it in another slot the wall lights up and the pattern is replicated over and over again to form a beautiful picture. It is suggestive of the original Superman movie where he can communicate with his father through a crystal shard. Because we were visiting on a Sunday we were finding that the place was crawling (literally sometimes) with children. If you are able, visiting during a week would be a lot calmer experience. Next, we went downstairs in the basement to the Garden, "an interactive gallery created especially for our very youngest visitors" This place was swarming with bodies, but we were a bit disappointed. It had some interesting areas; one where children are provided with a water jacket, another with mirrors and several that play on acoustics. Overall though it seemed like a glorified playground, but I think that was the intent. To give children that have been couped up in a museum the chance to release some energy. On a less busy day maybe it would be more affective. The final exhibit that we had the opportunity to visit during our 2.5 hour visit was Launchpad. After queuing for about 20 minutes we were able to go into this area. While many of the displays and activities are for older children (ages 8-11 suggested by the museum) there is still plenty of enjoyment for those younger. The bubble blowing tank, with special tongs to creat unusual bubbles is quite nifty. One exhibit requires you to pump water up into a tank. Once the tank is full it releases the water down a tube and operates a waterwheel which powers an LCD video camera that shows you on the screen. While it is quite clever it takes quite an effort to pump the water into the tank. Maybe that is the point...electricity requires a lot of resources. There are many more displays and you could easily spend an hour here, which is the suggested time. The favourite of our children was the magnet area. There are large magnetic discs with loads of large steel washers and spoons to play with. Some of the older children were trying to build magnetic bridges, but our little girls were just having fun pulling the metal off the magnetics. Who has time to build stuff when you can just as easily understand how it works by taking it apart? Whether you are a tourist visiting London or a resident the science museum is well worth a stop. We will make it a point to visit on many more occasions. There is still plenty left to see and the exhibits will change over time. In addition, with the Natural History Museum next door and the Victoria Albert Museum across the the street you will not get bored in South Kensington. While you can choose to make a day of it as we did and begin at Paddington with a pleasant walk through Hyde Park culminating at the Science Museum it is very easy to get here directly by taking the tube and getting off at South Kensington. Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1i-8_j58JQ read more

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Whether you're a kid, an engineer, or someone who wants to learn (or maybe all three), London's Science Museum is a top-notch place for it. This place is huge, and you can find all aspects of science (especially applied science) here. How do we create power? How have we travelled in space? How do antennae work? Materials? Agriculture? Weather? Math? Computing? It's all here, and lots more. My favourite bits are actually 'way up on the 4th and 5th floors, on the history of medicine. It's fascinating to see what tools doctors used hundreds of years ago. Best of all: most of it is free. There are sometimes some special exhibits that incur a charge (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/prices.aspx) , but I've always heard these are worth it. Last year's kid's exhibit on the technology of spying and espionage was informative and very interactive: my 10-year old nephew loved it. Some special exhibits are free, though. I saw the exhibit on plastics last year and it was absolutely fascinating: it's still there until Jan 2009 (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/galleries/plasticity.aspx) ! There's a café in the basement. They have an IMAX cinema (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/imax.aspx) . There are a number of simulation rides. And the gift shop is truly a wonder: it's a great place to buy gifts and books for kids that want to experiment and learn. It's a grand building, well-suited to housing big objects and big ideas. read more

Took my 4.5yr old nephew to the launchpad exhibit, its a big interactive space for kids and he loved it, he spent hours pumping levers, twirling dials, pulling ropes and generally having a whale of a time. we finished the day by going to the 3d imax film deep sea which is a pg film, the cinema do not warn you why it is a PG they is a lot of predatory activity along with bone crunching sounds, he was so scared we had to leave, they should tell you more about he film so you can make an informed judgement, the 3d glasses are also one size fits all which simply do not fit kids that well! read more

I visited London for a few days earlier in the year, and this museum was on the agenda. I paid to see a few things in London but surprisingly was most impressed by the Science Museum and it was totally free! We were expecting it to be boring but once we got there, we ended up spending half a day there and we didn't have time to see it all. Everyone had told us how brilliant the dinosaur exhibiton was - and it was good - but to be honest we much prefer the human body exhibition. It was fun an education for both the adults and the kids in our party. The initial wait to get into the museum was long - we queued outside for about 20-minutes but it was a nice day so wasn't too bad. Our bags were checked upon entry, but I guess that's understandable due it being a prestigious place in the heart of the capital. The food outlets inside were expensive, but we were wise and brought our own sandwiches and drinks with us. The toilets were of acceptable standards and there was so much to see and do that we could have spent a full day - maybe longer - exploring. Unfortunately we had tickets booked for the London dungeons so had to leave after a couple of hours. read more