Best for
Families, space and engineering enthusiasts, rainy-day visits
Time needed
2–3 hours
Worth it?
Yes — free, extensive, and genuinely engaging for both kids and adults
Skip if
You've only got time for one South Kensington museum and prefer natural history or design
About Science Museum
The Science Museum traces its roots to the 1851 Great Exhibition in nearby Hyde Park, whose profits funded the museum quarter that also produced the V&A and Natural History Museum. It moved into its current Exhibition Road building in stages through the early 20th century and now holds one of the world's most significant collections of scientific, technological and medical artefacts.
The ground floor's "Making the Modern World" gallery is effectively a walk through the Industrial Revolution and beyond, anchored by Stephenson's Rocket locomotive and full-scale spacecraft including a genuine Apollo 10 command module that orbited the Moon in 1969. Upstairs, exploration galleries cover flight, mathematics and computing — including a working reconstruction of Charles Babbage's Difference Engine — while the interactive Wonderlab (ticketed) is aimed squarely at children.
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The museum's IMAX cinema, one of only two in Europe capable of showing both digital and genuine 70mm IMAX film, screens science documentaries and occasional classic films on a screen roughly the height of four double-decker buses — the one part of a Science Museum visit that isn't free.
Like its South Kensington neighbours, general admission costs nothing, and the building connects underground to the Natural History Museum, making a combined visit straightforward on a single museum-focused day.
What to See: Highlights
- 1A genuine Apollo 10 command module that flew around the Moon
- 2Stephenson's Rocket locomotive in the "Making the Modern World" gallery
- 3IMAX: The Ronson Theatre — one of only two 70mm-capable IMAX screens in Europe
- 4Working reconstruction of Babbage's Difference Engine
- 5Wonderlab interactive gallery for children (ticketed)
- 6Free general admission across five floors
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Insider Tips
Book free general admission online ahead during school holidays
IMAX and Wonderlab need separate paid tickets — book these in advance too
The ground floor Exploring Space gallery is the highlight for most first-time visitors
Combine with the Natural History Museum via the connecting underground link
Weekday mornings outside school holidays are noticeably quieter
Book a Guided Tour
Get the most from your visit with a local expert guide.
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Getting There
Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD
Open in Google Maps →- 1South Kensington (Circle, District, Piccadilly lines) — a 5-minute walk via the museum tunnel or street level.
Where to stay
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you visit.
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Should You Visit?
Visit if...
- You or your kids are into space, engineering or how things work
- You want an interactive, hands-on museum experience
- You're already in South Kensington for the Natural History Museum or V&A
- You want to catch an IMAX documentary on a rainy day
Skip if...
- Science and technology genuinely don't interest you or your travel companions
- You've limited museum time and the Natural History Museum next door is a higher priority
- You're travelling with toddlers too young for most of the interactive exhibits (Wonderlab has an age focus around 7+)
Ready to Book Your Visit?
More to See in London
Natural History Museum
A cathedral-like Victorian building housing dinosaur skeletons, a blue whale suspended from the ceiling, and 80 million specimens — free to enter and one of London's most family-friendly museums.
Victoria and Albert Museum
The world's largest museum of art, design and performance — 5,000 years of human creativity from Raphael cartoons to Alexander McQueen couture, free to enter.