FAQs about your visit to the museum

Groups are welcome to visit the museum.  

Advance booking is essential and you can find out more on our Groups page.

School groups are welcome to visit the museum. 

Advance booking is essential and you can find out more on our learning page.

The Science Museum is easily accessible by walking or cycling and you can visit the TfL website for more information on walking and cycling routes within London.   

You can also refer to the Transport for London (TfL) website to plan your journey.

More information on getting here

We now ask all visitors to pre-book a free ticket to the museum for their visit. You can book these tickets online.

If you’re unable to book via our website, you can do so by calling our Contact Centre on 033 0058 0058. 

We can’t guarantee that tickets will be available on the day, particularly during busy periods, so we recommend you book tickets online or via the booking team on 033 0058 0058.

You will receive your tickets by email which you will need to bring with along with you, either on a mobile device or as a print-out. As part of our commitment to sustainability we are asking that you avoid printing tickets where possible. 

The tickets will have a barcode that will be scanned by a contactless scanner on arrival at the museum.  

If you are unable to find the email, you can log into your account on a mobile device and access your tickets from there. If you don’t have an account, please speak to our Contact Centre on 033 0058 0058.

We will do our best to accommodate latecomers, however if we’ve reached capacity for the time slot that you have booked, you will be asked to wait until the next available timeslot or book again for another time.   

Yes. You need to book free general admission tickets to the museum as well as a separate ticket for exhibitions or experiences. 

When choosing your timeslot, we advise visitors to allow enough time to reach the exhibition or experience after you enter the museum. Please allow at least 15 minutes to reach Wonderlab or the IMAX cinema from the entrance. 

Yes, you can leave the museum and re-enter on the same day by showing your e-tickets to our staff at the main entrance.

Our phone lines are very busy so please submit a return request for free tickets up until 08.30 on the day of your visit. You are welcome to book new tickets for another day online.

Please note that donations, including those made as part of your booking, are non-refundable. Your support large or small will make a huge difference—thank you.

If you would like to move your paid tickets to a different day please call our Contact Centre on 033 0058 0058. Our phone lines can get very busy, so please bear with us.

If you would be happy to donate the value of your tickets to the museum, please email our Contact Centre at info@ScienceMuseumGroup.ac.uk with your name and order number.

Please note that donations, including those made as part of your booking, are non-refundable. Your support large or small will make a huge difference—thank you.

Offering free admission tickets allows us manage the number of visitors in the museum and provide everyone with an enjoyable day out. We would encourage you to Login or create a new account so that we can email you with helpful information in advance of your visit. You can read our Privacy Policy here. 

We can’t guarantee that tickets will be available on the day, however, you can still enter the museum when we are not at capacity, without providing any personal data or having a pre-booked ticket.

Please book free tickets and an arrival slot in advance online to help us manage the number of people who visit each day. 

You are welcome to stay in the museum as long as you like, but an average visit lasts around two hours.  

Find out more about our current opening hours

The Science Museum is committed to looking out for the health and safety of its visitors.  

We would therefore ask that visitors continue to protect themselves and each other by maintaining their distance while exploring the museum or queuing.  

We have also taken reasonable steps to provide adequate ventilation in enclosed spaces.   

In line with government guidance, face coverings are not mandatory, but visitors are welcome to wear one if they’d prefer to do so. 

If you or one of your party starts to feel unwell whilst visiting the museum, please let a member of staff know so they can then support you by following our first aid procedure.