The Science Museum explains how science: past, present and future, impacts on all our lives, and on the life of the Planet. The museum examines the history of scientific advancements, its contempory users, and looks ahead at what new scientific technologies may soon become part of our every day life.
The Science Museum has its origins in the Great Exhibition of 1851 which was held to celebrate modern industrial technology and design. The exhibition was a great success and the financial surplus raised from the event was used to establish a number of educational extablishments, one of these being the South Kensington Museum, now the Victoria & Albert Museum, founded in 1857. One of the founding purposes of the museum was to display surplus items from the Great Exhibition. The museum's science collection finally became the Science Museum, which gained independent status in 1893.
The Sceince Museum divides its exhibits into four collections,: Science, Medicine, Information and Communication Technologies, and Engineering Technologies, sub-divided into 33 Galeries, over seven floors.
Many of the museums galleries contain hands-on exhibits, especially desgined for children. The main gallery for hands-on exhibitions is 'Launch Pad,' specifically designed for children aged 8 - 14 years old. Here children can create giant bubbles, play with the echo tunnel, generate electiricity through peddling, etc.,
Some of the museums more famous exhibits are Stephenson's Rocket, the Apollo 10 Command Module and Douglas DC-3 Plane.
The museum also has an imax cinema showing educational science films in 3D - featuring dinosaurs, mummies, deep sea monsters etc.
Opening Times
Open 10am – 6pm every day.
Closed 24 to 26 December.
Prices
The Museum is Free to all visitors.
(Charges apply for the IMAX 3D Cinema, simulators and some special exhibitions.)
Location
Science Museum
Exhibition Road
South Kensington
London SW7 2DD
Tel: 0870 870 4868
Tube: South Kensington
A pedestrian subway runs directly from the ticket barrier at South Kensington station to the Main Entrance of the Museum.
External link
Official Science Museum - Web site
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