A Trip to the London Science Museum

A museum provides wonderful resource of information for both children and adults. On my kids term holidays, we planned for a visit to the London Science Museum. The entry was free but charges were applicable for special exhibitions and IMAX. We loved travelling by the tube and is always the best choice for travelling in and out of London. The nearest tube station to the London Science Museum was the South Kensington with the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines.

The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London and is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry.The main entrance of the London Science museum was on Exhibition Road in South Kensington connecting the South Kensington station to our main entrance and we walked our way towards the Museum through the pedestrian subway which was about few minutes but it was quite comfortable from the cold weather outside.

London Science Museum

At the entrance of the museum, we were welcomed by the various evolution of bicycles ranging from vintage to the current version over the ceiling neatly aligned in a circle. Just opposite to us was the Museum Information and Ticket Desks where we got the accessibility map containing the necessary information about the museum and other resources like stairs, lists, toilets, etc.

The museum was large with about five floors of extensive collection to explore. The ground floor displayed inventions of steam engines, boilers, etc.There were models of different boilers and their description was wriitten on a board above each models.

We learnt that the atmospheric pumping build in Derbyshire in 1791 is one of the the oldest Newcomen type engine to survive unaltered. We also saw the Parsons radial flow steam engine and generator built in 1891. Another yet fascinating boiler we saw was the mini model of the haystack boiler build in 1796. Early steam boiler were said to be handmade and also had very short working lives. One such boiler oldest surviving boilers in existence near Derby 1796 is the haystack boiler.

London Science Museum - Haystack Boiler

Following it, we saw the mould of James Watt  1807 plaster and many of his Portrait medallions. James Watt has made medallions with his copying machine as well as made three dimensional figures and it is said that no fewer than twenty five copies of his own portrait survived, as a variety of materials and sizes (see below image). He used to make the moulds by pouring the liquid plaster of paris into the cast of an urn and allowed it to set. Then, the mould is removed to release the finished case and he used the same mould to reassembled to produce more copies.

There was also a small room which is said to be the James Watt workshop where all his instruments and the moulds he used for his work is kept. It is said that the room has about 8434 objects - the evidence of Watt's lifelong discoveries and memories.

London Science Museum - James Watt Collections

Next in line is what we call is the space museum. Yes, we saw all about rockets, satellites, suits, the Ariel satellite program, launchpad and the life of an astronomer in space.

The launchpad was amazing and for sometime, you are bound to feel the space environment amaze you with great collections of models and astronomy collections.

A piece of moon stone was a spectacular sight although it just looked like an ordinary stone (see below image). The name written on the plate was what made us to stare at it for some time - "the piece of the moon".
There were questions and answers on how the astronomers survived in space. The food the astronomers ate are said to be light and they stack up their provisions for about three years without any use of refrigerators.They would also need to grow their food themselves if needed. Astronaut will not bath like us but will use simple wash cloths to wipe themselves to keep clean. And have you wondered how they sleep? We came to know that astronauts will have to be strapped in when they sleep to prevent themselves from floating. They will use bags attached to walls of the space craft for longer sleeps for about five nights and five days which counts to one night on earth.
Ah! Einstein theory of relativity.

Science Museum London - Astronomy and Space

Coming out, we entered the museum of antique collections and other rare items. It was a great learning experience on seeing what people had used in the past from power, soap ,typewriters, surgical equipment, medicines, furniture, books , newspaper, and even the first washing machine and cooking hob.

I can't help but to keep myself busy clicking pictures often. Each display has a story to tell of the past and what I have shared below is just two of such displays.

London Science Museum -Vintage Collections

There was also the Alexander pass along test, an intelligence test specifically used for adults. This test gives your IQ score based upon how quick you solve the puzzle. It consists of four wooden trays and wooden blocks, painted red or blue, with eight design cards.

The design card is given to the subject to be tested. They have to make the image they see in the design card using the given blocks. And based on the time taken to complete each card will give the score of their IQ. This Alexander pass along test was published by the Councils and Educational Press Limited and was distributed by the National Foundation for Educational Research. The tests were said be to used by the Institute of Education, University of Liverpool, between 1960 and 1990.

Alexander Pass Along Test

Next was the eye catching motors and transport display. The various modes of transport like cars, trains, ships,etc and their evolution are arranged beautifully in a very large space. My children Cherry and Berry loved to see different types of vehicles all in one place. They even loved to have their picture clicked on each and every transport vehicle. My favorite click was the the half exposed motor car (image below).

We also loved seeing the aeroplanes, motorcars arranged one top of the other, Stephenson's Rocket and display of many wonderful yet bygone inventions of the past.

London Science Museum - Modes of Transport Collections

What followed next is the the 3D printing lab. The future of printing is said to be 3D printing and there are many such printers available now for sale. Numerous colourful 3D miniature were seen arranged beautifully over the wall. There was a video explanation on how a 3D miniature of a human being can be created using a 3D Printer and a wax. It somehow just reminded me of Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

London Science Museum - 3D Printing

The Foucault pendulum was devised by a French physicist Jean Bernard Léon Foucault as a simple proof to the rotation of the Earth in 1851 in the Meridian of the Paris Observatory. The Foucault pendulums are so popular now that they are found in almost in many science museums, universities and planetariums. One such Foucault pendulum is seen in London Science Museum.

According to the physicist, experimental apparatus consists of a tall pendulum suspended by a long wire and is left free to swing in any vertical plane. It is observed that the direction of the swing appears to change without any outside input. This simple yet famous experiment clearly states that the Earth is rotating and the pendulum swings in the same plane relative to the rest of the Universe.

The pendulum in Science Museum London is kept in motion by an electric impulse system that was devised by Sir Brian Pippard of the University of Cambridge.

Science Museum London  - The Foucault Pendulum

Although our time did not permit the visit the IMax 3D Unseen Universe film, we still enjoyed covering the main aspects of the Science Museum. We especially loved the Launchpad, a completely interactive areas great for kids. And then finally, we went for shopping in the London Science Museum shop which we normally would do after visiting a particular place.

Yes, there are more wonderful photos I wish I could share but this post and space will not be enough. But I do hope that this post will give you an insight on what you can expect to see in the London Science museum and trigger your interest. Believe me, this museum is a great visit if you love antiques and sci-fi. It is very educational for both kids and adults.

Link to the London Science Museum - Getting There
Note: All images are copyrighted 

What do you like about the London Science Museum? Also, do share your trip on any other science museum you have visited and what is special about it. Hoping to read your comments  :)