An entirely unbiased review of museums

After the half term holidays, I hope you are all feeling rested. If like me you stayed at home, I hope you enjoyed some of the awesome places London has to offer. But if not, fear not, as help is at hand as I present you my helpful (and entirely unbiased) guide to your local(ish) London museums.  

The Science Museum, starting off strong with a South Kensington classic, the Science museum offers a wide range of exhibitions ranging from examining ourselves to looking out into deep space. It has a selection of interactive exhibits, so even if you aren’t scientifically inclined, you’re still able to stay engaged (personally still quite upset I’m too old for The Garden and the Pattern Pod). The Science Museum contains some of my favourite artefacts like a completed Difference Engine, the Apollo 10 landing module and a Spitfire. The Science Museum is located on Exhibition Road, giving easy access to the VnA and the Natural History Museum however can get busy during weekends and holidays so may be one to avoid if you don’t like crowds. 

Natural history Museum, another classic, with an earthquake simulator and DINOSAURS, it really can’t get much better than this. Although the museum boasts fewer interactive exhibits, it’s still is worth a visit even if it is just to look at Andy’s clock (from Andy’s prehistoric adventures on CBeebies) and decide which rocks look the prettiest. Like the Science Museum, it has a risk of getting quite busy during peak times.

London Mithraeum: ever want to go visit an ancient cult temple? Here’s your chance. The Temple of Mithras is brilliantly presented with lights and haze effects to “complete” the ruins. And boasts sound effects to fully immerse you in the cult. I’d recommend dragging a Latin friend along to translate for you, however an English translation of the Latin chanting can be found in a guide. The Mithraeum is much smaller than many of the other Museums mentioned, so may be a shorter trip out.  

RAF Hendon, my personal favourite museum. Separated into different hangers, the museum looks at the different planes involved in the first, second world wars as well as more modern conflicts. The museum also boasts various outfits worn by the many people involved in these conflicts. Not quite convinced by planes (although you should be) one of my favourite aspects of the museum is the wide variety of nose art painted on the noses of the various aircraft. The museum has a small interactive exhibit that looks at the role of the RAF in present day, allowing you to fend off cyber attacks and design and digitally test new planes. The museum also has a Spitfire simulator and a Red Arrows simulator however these both cost money. It is also important to note that RAF Hendon is found outside of central London and can take some time to get there so you might want to plan a day trip.

The Wellcome Collection, found in Euston, takes another look at the way we view science. Filled with a mixture of historical artifacts, classical and modern art the exhibits explore our relations with every day items. I have so far attended exhibits on milk and eyes. Whilst not necessarily your go-to if you want to learn about the structure of the eye for example, they are always very interesting exhibits. Interactivity depends on the exhibit, but there tends to be some objects you are able to touch, audio and videos to watch and listen to and sometimes a form of Virtual Reality artwork for you to interact with.

The Bank of England is another of my favourite museums. The museum opens into its only interactive exhibit, which looks at inflation and the role of the Bank of England in modern society. You can go through to look at the different types of physical money through the ages, the decisions about who deserves to go on our bank notes and how they recycle the (relatively) new plastic bank notes. The museum also has an exhibit on slavery and its role in the British economy, the Bank of England in particular. Not limited to one particular room, all other exhibits contain relevant orange information cards which tell you about the object’s history in relation to slavery.

Sherlock Holmes Museum, the museum itself is quite small and is toured throughout. Unfortunately for tv or film fans, the museum is based on the books and therefore has objects of historical significance. The museum has a mixture of references from the book as well as photographs of real-life historical murderers whose stories range from fascinating but horrific to just unjust. The museum is small so there’s a limited number of people who can enter at one time, this is nice because it prevents overcrowding and allows you to get a greater interaction with the guide. The museum does cost money so I would only recommend it if you are fan of the books.