Before you visit, please read the list below to check whether any of our galleries or spaces will be closed:

October 2018

• The Museum will close at 16.00 on Thursday 4 October.
• The IMAX Theatre will be closed all day on Thursday 11 October.

November 2018

• The IMAX Theatre will be closed all day on Wednesday 28 November.

Other notable changes

• Space Descent VR with Tim Peake is currently located on Level 2 in the Media Space.
• Secret Life of the Home is currently closed for essential improvement works.
• Level 1 is partly closed while we construct a new home for our extensive Medicine Collection—Who am I? and Challenge of Materials remain open.
• Energy: Fuelling the Future and Journeys Through Medicine closed permanently on 3 September 2018.

On the last Wednesday of each month (except December) we open from 18.45–22.00 for Lates, our  adults-only evening event.

October Half term and February Half term:
10.00–19.00 daily

All other school holidays:
10.00–18.30
Galleries will start to close at 17.45, all galleries closed by 18.00 with the Energy Hall and Shop remaining open until 18.30. 

During school holidays we welcome a lot of visitors to the Museum so queuing times may be longer than usual. School holiday opening times will apply during the following dates:

• October half term: 22–26 October 2018
• Christmas holiday: 24 December 2018 – 4 January 2019
• Spring half term: 18–22 February 2019
• Easter: 8–19 April 2019
• Summer half term: 27–31 May 2019
• Summer holiday: 22 July–30 August 2019

The nearest tube station is South Kensington. This is on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines and is a 5-minute walk from the Museum.

A pedestrian subway connects South Kensington station to our main entrance.

Gloucester Road tube station is also on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines and is a 15-minute walk from the Museum.

Find out the latest Transport for London tube status updates.

Bus routes 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430 and C1 stop outside South Kensington Underground Station.

Bus routes 9, 10, 52, 452 and 70 stop outside the Royal Albert Hall on Kensington Gore.

There is a coach drop-off point in Exhibition Road outside the Museum. The nearest coach parks are located at Warwick Road, Bayswater Road and Park Lane.

For more information visit Transport for London’s Information for Coach Drivers page.

Transport for London Barclays Cycle Hire docking stations are available outside the Museum on Exhibition Road and on Thurloe Place near South Kensington tube station.

We do not have dedicated bicycle stands, but folding bicycles can be left in our cloakroom on the lower ground floor for a small fee.

We do not have car parking facilities and local parking is very limited.

There is no visitor parking in Exhibition Road.

The nearest pay and display car parking is in Prince Consort Road and Queen's Gate.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have more information about parking near the Museum.

A small number of disabled parking spaces are available outside the Museum on Exhibition Road.

Blue Badge holders may park here for four hours between 08.30 and 18.30.

Wonderlab: The Equinor Gallery: You’ll find fun for all the family at Wonderlab, with hair-raising live science shows and friendly Explainers on hand to help you understand the science and maths that shape our world.

Fly zone: Fuel your adrenaline in our flight simulators with high-definition 3D and motion effects.

Flight: Unique aircraft hang suspended in mid-air in this gallery allowing you to explore both British and international achievements in aviation: from the earliest pioneers to modern jumbo jets.

Engineer your future: Find out if you’ve got the problem-solving, bigthinking, team-working skills to be an engineer in this hands-on gallery ideal for teens.

Also on this floor: Wonderlab ticket desk and shop, picnic area and Shake Bar.

The Last Tsar: Blood and Revolution: Explore the extraordinary lives and deaths of the last Russian ruler and his family. Until 24 March 2019.

The Clockmakers' Museum: Explore this unique collection, charting the evolution of watch and clock making from 1600 to the present day.

Mathematics: The Winton Gallery: Explore how mathematics connects to every aspect of our lives: from war and peace to life, death, trade and beauty, in an awardwinning gallery designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

Information Age: Discover how over 200 years of innovation in information and communication technology has transformed our lives, from the first transatlantic communication to the dawn of digital TV.

Atmosphere: Dig deeper into the story of the Earth’s changing climate in this immersive, interactive gallery.

Space Descent VR: Experience the thrilling 400 km journey back to Earth with this immersive virtual reality experience.

Also on this level: ticket desk, Gallery Café, Information Age Studio, Multi-faith room.

Challenge of Materials: From a steel wedding dress to Thomas Heatherwick’s stunning artwork Materials House and historic gems, explore the unexpected properties of different materials in this eye-opening gallery.

Who Am I?: Discover what makes you unique through intriguing objects, thoughtprovoking artworks and hands-on exhibits. Explore how your genetics and upbringing might combine to create your identity.

The Sun: Living With Our Star: Discover more about humanity’s relationship with our closest star in this blockbuster interactive exhibition. Until 6 May 2019.

Please note: the rest of Level 1 is closed while we construct a new home for our extensive Medicine Collection.

Making the Modern World: See some of the most iconic objects that have transformed our lives over the past 250 years: from Apollo 10, to the first Apple computer.

Energy Hall: Discover how steam propelled British industry and technology. Don’t miss seeing the workshop of engineer James Watt, preserved as it was when he died in 1819.

Exploring Space: A real moon rock, satellites and rockets tell the mesmerising story of space exploration.

Pattern Pod: A captivating, interactive multi-sensory area for children to identify the many types of patterns in the world around us and create their own.

Tomorrow's World: Discover surprising science stories and the biggest breakthroughs in our multimedia news gallery. Currently featuring Superbugs: The Fight for our Lives, an exhibition exploring the challenge of antibiotic resistance (until Spring 2019).

IMAX Theatre: Immerse yourself in a breath-taking IMAX 3D film, on one of the largest screens in the UK.

Legend of Apollo: Blast off on an Apollo mission to the Moon in our 3D motion effects theatre.

Also on this level: Information desk, ticket desks, Museum shop, Energy Café, Hans Rausing Lecture Theatre, cloakroom and The Diner.

The Garden: Let your little ones play their way through water, light, sound and construction as they learn to observe, explore, and draw conclusions through play. This interactive gallery is designed for our youngest visitors.

The Secret life of the Home: From horse-drawn vacuum cleaners to pop-up toasters, trace the evolution of everyday household objects.

Also on this level: Family room, buggy parking, Basement Studio, picnic area and the Basement Café

While you are at the Museum please take care of your own health and safety and our collections. In order to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, please do not:

• Touch objects on open display
• Smoke in the Museum (including electronic cigarettes)
• Disregard alarms, signs, barriers or directions given by staff
• Leave personal property unattended
• Eat and drink other than in designated areas
• Bring in to the Museum any restricted item (see below)
• Fundraise, demonstrate or distribute campaigning material, without prior agreement
• Ride bicycles, scooters or any other wheeled item.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Other age restrictions may apply for particular experiences in the Museum, for example our IMAX cinema.

For education groups, separate advice and guidance on supervision of children is available in our Learning section.

Visitors are permitted to use hand-held cameras within the Museum for private and non-commercial purposes, but must not:

• Use cameras in any areas where video or photography is restricted (this will always be clearly signed)
• Make any recording or take any photograph of any person without the authorisation of that person.

Non-private or commercial use of cameras/recording devices, and the use of tripods or lighting, is only allowed by prior arrangement.

We will always let visitors know if filming or photography is taking place in the Museum during their visit.

Please look after your personal property while at the Museum. Any property left unattended may be removed from the Museum floor. If you lose any item during your visit, please speak to a member of staff.

Buggy parks are available in a number of locations throughout the Museum. These are not staffed, and are used at the visitor’s own risk.

Luggage, coats and buggies can be left in our cloakroom for a small fee.

• Alcohol. Alcohol may only be consumed, if purchased on site, in a designated area
• Clothing with offensive signage or logos
• Animals, with exception of Assistance Dogs
• Potentially dangerous items such as fireworks or knives. Knives which are carried for religious or cultural observance (such as the Kirpan) are normally exempt from this policy
• Any clothing or item worn deliberately to obscure the face, but with the exception of items worn for religious or cultural observance such as a Niqab or Burkha
• Balloons, as these can interfere with our alarm systems if they float away

We will sometimes conduct bag searches on arrival at the Science Museum. The searches look for restricted items and any other material that might be considered a risk to our collection, or to the health and safety and enjoyment of our visitors.

Any items found will be removed at the bag-searching point will be recorded and returned to the visitor on departure. If our staff find anything they consider to be illegal, they will confiscate it and contact the Police. 

Our visitors are welcome to breastfeed anywhere on site.

All our staff are identifiable from their Science Museum passes. There is a Duty Manager on site whenever we are open to the public, to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable visit.

If our staff think you may be causing unreasonable offence to other visitors, or are endangering yourself, others, our property or our collections, they will ask you to stop. Our staff have the authority to escort you from the Museum premises if necessary.

We will not tolerate abuse or violence towards any visitor, contractor or member of staff.

CCTV is in use throughout the Science Museum; images are recorded for the purpose of public safety and crime prevention, in line with Data Protection legislation.