Science Museum London: Complete Visitor Guide

The Science Museum in South Kensington is one of the world's great science museums — five floors covering the history of science, technology, medicine and space exploration, with free entry to the permanent galleries.

What to See

The Making the Modern World gallery on the ground floor is the essential introduction — Stephenson's Rocket, early cars, the Apollo 10 command module. The Exploring Space gallery covers the history of space exploration. The Wonderlab (ticketed, around £14) is a hands-on interactive gallery aimed at ages 7 and up, with live science demonstrations throughout the day.

IMAX Cinema

The museum's IMAX cinema shows science and nature documentaries on an enormous screen — tickets separate from general admission, around £14.

Hours & Access

Open daily 10am–6pm. Free permanent galleries; Wonderlab and IMAX ticketed separately. South Kensington station connects via pedestrian tunnel.

Tips

• Book Wonderlab online in advance — it sells out on weekends and school holidays.
• The permanent galleries alone are worth 2-3 hours and completely free.
• Combine with the Natural History Museum next door for a full South Kensington day.

The Flight Gallery

One of the museum's original galleries, largely unchanged in spirit since the mid-20th century — full-size aircraft suspended from the ceiling, including a genuine Spitfire. Consistently one of the most photographed spaces in the building.

Medicine Galleries

Recently redeveloped, the Medicine galleries cover the history of healthcare with a mix of genuinely unsettling historical artefacts and engaging modern interactive displays — one of the museum's more overlooked sections given the pull of the space and flight exhibits.

Tips

• The Flight gallery's suspended aircraft are worth timing your visit around if aviation interests you.
• The Medicine galleries are less crowded and genuinely worth the detour.