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Located beside the Natural
History Museum this vast museum, covering seven
floors, is devoted to science and technology. Much to much
to see in one visit, but now it's free so you can do a bit
at a time.
The museum makes the most
of Britain's pioneering industrial heritage and has a magnificent
collection of machines and hardware.
Exhibits include steam engines,
aircraft, spacecraft and the earliest and latest computers.
Emphasis is also given to the
social context of science; the process of discovery and the
effects discoveries and inventions have on daily life.
Throughout the museum interactive displays invite visitors
to take part themselves. There also are daily tours
and fascinating shows.
The ground floor is dominated
by huge machines including locomotives, steam engines and
cars. There are also displays on fire-fighting and space
exploration.
On the first floor there are
exhibitions on telecommunications, gas and food, iron and
steel.
The various galleries on the
second floor include nuclear power, printing and computing.
On the third floor is the new
Flight Gallery, along with exhibitions on photography, optics
and electricity. The smaller fourth and fifth floors
are the medical galleries and feature full-scale reconstructions.
The new Wellcome Wing opened
in 2000. a huge extension to the museum, with four floors
of exhibition space presenting the cutting edge of contemporary
science, medicine and technology. We think the museum
is worth a trip just to see this wing.
The Launch Pad area in the basement
has push-button exhibits enabling youngsters to solve scientific
problems at first hand. The wing also contains a new
IMAX cinema.
The 'Making the Modern World',
a new permanent gallery, uses displays from existing collections
to link the old and new parts of the museum.
Admission free -
charge for IMAX and some special temporary exhibitions.
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London
South Kensington