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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 06 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Sarah Barrell

Interactive, innovative and packed with wow-factor exhibits, this vast, seven-floor museum is traditionally seen as the preserve of school groups – but grown-ups overlook this at your peril.

Come here for treasures such as the command module from the Apollo 10 spacecraft, astronaut’s space suits, early computers and thrilling flight simulators. The Flight Gallery, complete with full-size craft from the beginnings of aviation, will make even the most museum-jaded traveller’s heart soar.

The museum is adored by families for its lower floors, which focus entirely on stimulating mini-scientists: the spectacular Wonderlab is spread across seven zones, offering the chance to interact with scientific phenomena, see live science shows and demonstrations and get hands-on with experiments and displays.

Don't miss

The giant, in-tact fossil skeleton of a stegosaurus. You can’t miss it really, it’s in the entrance hall.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 4+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

The nearest Underground station is South Kensington (Piccadilly, District and Circle lines). Entry is free.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, seven days a week during school holidays. It closes on Mondays and Tuesday during school term time. Visit first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the big groups.

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Number Sixteen

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.5 miles]

Dazzling design and local colour abound at this intimate, under-the-radar bolthole in a convenient, upmarket location.

Official star rating:

Sydney House

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.7 miles]

A value-for-money Georgian townhouse hotel that offers a pleasingly tranquil feel, set on a refined residential street in the heart of Chelsea.

Official star rating:

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

London, United Kingdom (UK)[1.3 miles]

A gloriously opulent Edwardian hotel, with Michelin-starred dining, a subterranean spa and a wonderful location overlooking Hyde Park – one of the capital’s most expensive, most luxurious addresses.

Official star rating:

Artists Residence London

London, United Kingdom (UK)[2.3 miles]

An agreeably-priced boutique hotel filled with a dizzying variety of artworks, tucked away in a quiet corner of charming Pimlico. Away from the rush, but with excellent transport into the city centre.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

London

Greater London, United Kingdom (UK)

World-class culture, fashion, music, food and history – and a mind-boggling array of bucket list experiences – packed into one extraordinary, incomparable destination. 

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Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Natural History Museum

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.1 miles]

Dinosaur skeletons, blue whales and chunks of meteorite set in a Romanesque, cathedral-like building – the world’s biggest and best such museum is a treasure trove of natural history.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free

Royal Albert Hall

London, United Kingdom (UK)[0.4 miles]

London’s premier venue, this iconic circular Victorian concert hall hosts everything from circus acts to classical music, with perfectly-crafted acoustics.

Best for ages: 13+ | £15 | 1+ hours

Kensington Palace

London, United Kingdom (UK)[1.1 miles]

Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this regal 18th-century palace in Hyde Park is now the official residence of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.

Best for ages: 13+ | £17

Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..

Royal Academy of Arts

London, United Kingdom (UK)[2.9 miles]

An 18th-century mansion of masterpieces sitting pretty on Piccadilly, home to one of Britain’s oldest collections of fine art and regular blockbuster exhibitions.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

Madame Tussauds

London, United Kingdom (UK)[3.2 miles]

Meet the queen, get a selfie with Stormzy and take the controls of the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca at the world’s leading and original wax museum.

Best for ages: 8+ | £30