Over het museum
The Science Museum grew out of the scientific and industrial collections that were part of the South Kensington Museum, which had been founded with profits from the Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1909 the science collections became a separate institution, the Science Museum, and the large building on Exhibition Road was built over the following years to house them.
The museum collects objects that show how science, technology, engineering and medicine have shaped everyday life, from early steam engines and flying machines to computers, space exploration and modern medicine. Galleries such as Making the Modern World, Flight, Information Age and Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries tell these stories through original objects.
Today the museum is the best-known site of the Science Museum Group, which also runs museums in other parts of England. Entry to the main galleries is free. Visitors can add paid experiences, including the interactive galleries Wonderlab and Power Up and films in the IMAX theatre, and the museum builds new galleries while remaining open.
Hoogtepunten
- Wonderlab, the interactive science gallery
- Power Up, a hands-on gallery of video games
- Making the Modern World and Flight galleries
- Information Age gallery
- Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries
- IMAX cinema in the Ronson Theatre
Vaste collectie
- Wonderlab – An interactive gallery with about 50 hands-on exhibits and live science shows, aimed at ages 7–14.
- Power Up – A hands-on gallery where visitors play video games and consoles from the past 50 years.
- Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries – Galleries on the history of medicine, with touchable objects and audio description.
- Opgericht
- 1909
- Beheerder
- Science Museum Group
- Directie
- Ian Blatchford
- Bezoekers per jaar
- ca. 2.989.000
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
De toegang is gratis.
| Kinderen & jongeren | –Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over. Wonderlab is free for ages 3 and under. |
|---|---|
| Mensen met een beperking | –begeleider gratis · Free carer tickets are available for some paid activities and exhibitions; ask the Contact Centre to add them to an order. |
| Wonderlab day pass | –Price varies; advance booking is cheaper. Recommended for ages 7–14; family discounts apply and ages 3 and under go free. |
| Power Up day pass | –Price varies; advance booking is cheaper. |
| IMAX documentary | –Cheaper when booked in advance. |
| Interactive guide | £ 5Two tours, one for families and one for adult groups; English only. |
Entry to the main galleries is free, but visitors must pre-book a free timed ticket online; walk-up entry is available daily when capacity allows. Wonderlab, Power Up and the IMAX cinema are charged separately.
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift
- Aangepast toilet
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
- Hulphonden welkom
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie
Step-free routes run through most of the museum, but there is currently no step-free access to the mezzanine level in the Making the Modern World and Flight galleries. A Changing Places toilet is on level 0 (RADAR key; ask staff if you do not have one) and accessible toilets are on all levels. Manual wheelchairs and folding stools can be borrowed, and wheelchairs can be booked by phone. Hearing loops are fitted at all ticket and information desks and in the lecture theatre and Wonderlab show space. BSL interpretation appears in some films, and most gallery films have captions. Braille and raised-line floor plans, touchable objects in five galleries, large print texts, the Audio Eyes app and an audio-described trail are available. Ear defenders, a sensory map and a visual story support neurodivergent visitors, and the museum is quieter on weekday afternoons in term time. Assistance animals are welcome. Blue Badge holders may park in a few council-controlled bays on Exhibition Road for four hours (08:30–18:30).
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Bezoekduur | ca. 2 uur |
|---|
- Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
- Doe- en voelstations
- Kinderwagenvriendelijk
- Verschoonruimte
Wonderlab (recommended for ages 7–14) and Power Up are hands-on galleries with live demonstrations. Self-guided family trails and a family tour on the interactive guide are offered. Buggies are allowed in the galleries, with free buggy parking on level -1 and level 0; a Family Room on level -1 and baby changing throughout provide space for a break. Visitors may breastfeed anywhere on site.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
South Kensington station · 5 min. lopen
South Kensington Underground station (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines) is a 5-minute walk; Gloucester Road is a 15-minute walk. Step-free Underground stations are Knightsbridge (15–20 minutes' walk) and Earl's Court (20–25 minutes' walk). Buses 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430 and C1 stop outside South Kensington station; routes 9, 10, 52, 452 and 70 stop outside the Royal Albert Hall.
Met de auto
Geen eigen parkeerplaats bij het museum.
The museum has no car park and there is no visitor parking on Exhibition Road. The nearest pay-and-display parking is on Prince Consort Road and Queen's Gate; a few Blue Badge bays on Exhibition Road allow four hours (08:30–18:30).
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
Main entrance on Exhibition Road. A coach drop-off point is outside the museum. The museum lies within the Ultra Low Emission Zone. Santander Cycle docking stations are outside the neighbouring V&A and Natural History Museum.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museumwinkel
- Kluisjes
- Wifi
Free wifi throughout the museum (network 'Free Museum Wi-Fi'). Energy Café (self-service) and Space Café (self-service café and table-service restaurant) on level 0, plus picnic areas on levels -1, 2 and 3. Self-service lockers on level -1 cost £3, £5 or £7 by size (card payment only). Multi-faith room on level 2.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
Venue hire is handled by the museum's venue hire team (venuehire@sciencemuseum.ac.uk).
Aanvragen & detailsJe bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja |
|---|---|
| Audiotour | ja (EN) |
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Fotograferen | Hand-held cameras and phones may be used for private, non-commercial purposes except in clearly signed restricted areas; do not photograph people without their permission. |
| Goed om te weten | An average visit lasts around two hours. Free volunteer-led tours run throughout the year, and an interactive guide device (£5) is available. Security checks and bag searches may take place, and large luggage is not permitted. Visitors can leave and re-enter on the same day with their e-ticket. |
