About the museum

 

Collections

Babbage Difference Engine Number 1

We have hundreds of thousands of objects in our collection, from aircraft to microchips.

History

Construction of the East Block, Science Museum, London, 9 May 1919

The Science Museum as an institution has been in existence for about a century and a half. It has its origins in the Great Exhibition of 1851, held in Hyde Park in the huge glass building known as the Crystal Palace.

Director

Prof Chris Rapley CBE is the Director of the Science Museum.

Library and Archives

The Science Museum library was founded in 1883 as the Science Library of the South Kensington Museum, and had grown into an important national science library by the 1930s. More recently we have specialised in the history of science and technology, in our key role as part of the National Museum of Science & Industry.

Science Museum at Wroughton

An old RAF airfield, the Science Museum at Wroughton now serves as a storage facility for the large objects in our collection.

Science Museum Arts Projects

About Art at the Science Museum Science Museum arts projects explore artists' perspectives on the past, present and future of science and technology, creating new opportunities for encountering contemporary art.