Before you book

We are currently booking for visits through to 11 February 2024.

Explore what to see and do—check our web areas for formal education groups, other groups and home educators to find out what’s on for your group type. 

We recommend three or four different activities to vary the pace and tone of the visit. Don't try to do too much. Use our free activity trails and apps to give focus. 

All groups need to book in advance, even for a general visit. You can check live availability, build your itinerary and book at any time using our online booking portal. You'll need to know how many adults and children will be visiting, the age of the children and an idea of what you’d like to do at the museum.

Our online booking portal is not handling tickets for IMAX films at weekends or in hoildays, so please call us to book tickets for visits at those times.

If you are a special school wanting to attend Wonderlab on a SEND Day, or you require a private lunch space or minibus parking, please call us to make your booking.

For safeguarding and supervision our adult to child ratios for group visits are:  
Ages 5 and under – 1:4 
Ages 5 to 11 – 1:8 
Ages 11 to 16 – 1:10
Ages 16 to 18 – 1:30
Over 18s – 1 responsible adult
(All accompanying adults must be aged 19 and over.)

If you choose to include charged activities in your visit, you'll need to pay by credit or debit card at the time of booking. Formal education groups may elect to pay by invoice which carries a £25 processing fee and payment is required before your visit. See our group eticket terms and conditions for details.

Once you've booked and paid by card you can make changes to your order up to 28 days before your visit. However, formal education organisations electing to pay by invoice may only add tickets; an invoiced booking is non-transferrable and tickets may not be cancelled.

Larger groups may need to split into subgroups if the chosen activities have limited capacity (e.g. a show or Wonderlab).  Our online booking portal will do this for you and help you schedule activities for each subgroup.

The object galleries can be visited at any time and all are self-guided. Our online portal allows you to plot them into your timetable for completeness, but you don't need to include them. 

Our picnic areas are free-flow and don't require pre-booking so there's no need to request a timeslot.

Use our risk assessment information, hazard identification sheet and insurance confirmation letter to help you write your risk assessment.  

If you are travelling by coach, there is a coach drop-off and pick-up point in Exhibition Road outside the museum.  Drivers must leave and park elsewhere. The nearest coach parks are located at Warwick Road, Bayswater Road and Park Lane. 

If travelling by rail, you might want to apply for the Transport for London (TfL) School Party Travel scheme.  Please check their guidelines for lead times and group sizes before booking your museum trip.

See our FAQs for groups for more information.