The Science Museum London is London’s museum where you can learn and be amazed by science. It is very close to our favourite museum, the Natural Science Museum of London, on Exhibition Road in South Kensington.
The Science Museum offers a wide range of exhibitions that are interactive, entertaining and educational. This makes it an ideal museum to visit as a family if you are visiting with children and we would recommend you to book tickets for “The Wonderlab”, and “The Equinor Gallery”, it’s a blast!
The London Science Museum was founded in 1857 and is visited by more than 3 million people every year.
Science Museum London: Opening Hours, Prices and How to Get There
| Opening times | Monday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm Closed on the 24th, 25th and 26th December |
| Address | Science Museum. Exhibition Road, Kensington, London SW7 2DD, United Kingdom. – In South Kensington. (Open in Google Maps). |
| How to get there | Underground: The nearest Underground station is South Kensington (District, Circle and Piccadilly Lines) in Zone 1. Bus: 9, 10, 14, 49, 52, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 452 y C1. |
| Prices | The Science Museum is free for adults and children but there are some exhibitions where you will need to pay. |
How to get to the Science Museum
London Science Museum: Exhibition Road, Kensington, London SW7 2DD, United Kingdom.
Underground: The nearest tube station is South Kensington in London Zone 1. Circle, Piccadilly and District Lines.
Bus: The following buses will drop you just a few metres from the Science Museum: 9, 10, 14, 49, 52, 52, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 452 and C1.
Science Museum opening hours
The Science Museum London is open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., including public holidays. The Science Museum London is closed on 24, 25 and 26 December.
Important: Please note that you must be in before 5.15 p.m.
London Science Museum: Prices
One thing we love about living in London is that almost all of London’s museums are free. And of course, entry to the London Science Museum is free. You will see large urns at the entrance where you can leave a (voluntary) donation.
Occasionally, there are exhibitions or events where you will need to pay an entrance fee, but if you just want to visit the best of the Museum, you can do so without paying. – On the official website of the Science Museum London you can find the full schedule of exhibitions and the prices of each one. They offer discounts for groups and families.
Some of the “attractions” of the Science Museum, such as the 3D IMAX Cinema, are included in the London Pass, so if you decide to buy it, you will be able to enter for free to this cinema (normally £11).
There is a cloakroom service where you can leave coats and backpacks on level 0. It costs about £3 per person. If you want to leave your child’s buggy, you can do so in the buggy park on level -1.
What to see at the Science Museum London
The London Science Museum, like all museums, is divided into several rooms, each with a different theme. When you enter, remember to pick up a map at the information desk by the door.
The Museum has 5 levels. On each level you will be able to see the following:
Level -1
The Garden: This is an interactive gallery where you can set the children free to play with water games, light, sound… and experiment with what they find along the way.
The Secret life of the Home: Discover the evolution of household appliances from their most basic origins to the way we know them today.
Level -1 is also home to the pram parking area, the picnic area and the ground floor cafeteria. There is also a family room if you want to relax with the kids.
Level 0
Making the Modern World: Objects that have transformed our lives over the last 250 years. Here you will see everything from parts of the Apollo X to the first computer manufactured by Apple. Very interesting if you like technology.
Energy Hall: A room dedicated to the history of steam and how it revolutionised transport, British industry and ultimately our lives.
Exploring Space: The most interesting thing for us here was that you can see a piece of rock from the moon. There are also fragments of satellites (the real ones, not the satellite dish from the balcony at home!) and rockets that have been in space.
Pattern Pod: A multi-sensory interactive room recommended for children and designed so they can touch everything without fear of breaking anything.
Tomorrow’s World: Science-related discoveries and news that surprised the world during the last decades of our history.
IMAX Theatre: One of the best 3D cinemas we’ve ever seen. It’s quite an experience, as long as you don’t get dizzy easily. They have one of the largest IMAX screens in the world.
Legend of Apollo: 3,2,1 Liftoff! – This room is dedicated to the famous “Apollo” space mission. It is a 3D Experience of a trip to the moon. I think I enjoyed it more than the kids!
On this level there is also the information desk, the cloakroom, the museum shop and the restaurant.
Level 1
Challenge of Materials: From a wedding dress made of steel to precious stones. This part is about the different materials we have in our environment and the properties they have. Recommended if you really like science and perhaps if you don’t have very young children.
Who Am I?: Here what I think they have tried to do is to make us wonder where we come from, how our genetics influences how we are and other interesting questions. There are rare objects, art… it’s worth it.
Level 2
The Clockmakers’ Museum: A journey through the evolution of the world of clockmaking from 1600 to the present day.
Science City 1550-1800: The Linbury Gallery: The evolution of the city of London from a small town to the industrial and commercial centre of the UK in the 1800s.
Mathematics: The Winton Gallery: A very interesting gallery for those of us who like mathematics. Here they explain how mathematics is present in everything around us – the Gallery in which it is located has won several architectural awards.
Information Age: More than 200 years of the history of communications and how they have evolved into what we know today.
Atmosphere: Room dedicated to climate change and its impact on our lives.
Level 3
Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery: I recommend it especially if you go with your family. It is a mixture of experiments, scientific games and the shapes that surround us in the environment. Very interesting.
Fly zone: Flight simulators in high definition and with 3D effects. Here you know when you enter but not when you leave! A real blast.
Space Descent VR: This is a virtual reality experience in which you can simulate a trip back to earth. As if you were coming back from a space mission.
Flight: If you liked planes as a child like me, here you will go back to your childhood. There are models of British and international aircraft from all eras.
Engineer your future: Could you have been an engineer? Here you will find some logic games, problem solving and other brain teasers. If you do them all you don’t get a degree, I asked. It is recommended if you go with teenagers.
Is the London Science Museum worth a visit?
In our opinion, a visit to the Science Museum is quite fun whether you go with children or not, as there are also many spaces designed to surprise adults.
Besides, the museum is in the same area as the other two most interesting museums in London. As it is free, you won’t feel obliged to see everything, you can always stay a couple of hours and then continue with your route.
There is always an exhibition or a different tour and they are usually quite entertaining.
In short, we recommend visiting the Science Museum, it’s worth a visit whether you go with your family or just adults.
What to see near the Science Museum in London
With its location in South Kensington, the Science Museum is very close to many interesting attractions, museums and parks that you should visit. Below is a list with links to more information about each of them:
- Natural History Museum: Our favourite museum and the one I would spend the most time at.
- Victoria & Albert Museum: Specialising in fashion and design in general.
- Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens: The largest park in London. The lung of the city.
- Holland Park: A not very big park but with a lot of charm. 100% recommended.
- Harrods: The most famous department store in the UK. Worth a visit even if you don’t buy anything.