Places that won't be very very busy in London next week, suitable for a 7yr old with ASD, moon on a stick?

[Catoninetails]

My teenager is desperate to go to London for an art exhibition they want to see before it finishes at the end of August. This is doable as we have family we could stay with who would love to see us all, but I'd also have my 7 yr old who has ASD/ADHD with me if I go. I could send teenager alone but she hasn't done the journey before and isn't confident about the underground etc, plus it would be nice to see family so I'd like us all to go if possible.

Is there anything at all that won't be packed that I could do with my 7yr old? Likes include Minecraft, history, space, dogs 😂, Harry Potter... But very busy places are a real struggle as are long queues, so am I being unrealistic?

We took our nearly 6 year old space loving twins who have a additional needs with speech and language to the science museum at the start of the hols and they had loads of space stuff on to do with the moon landing anniversary and whilst busy it wasn't crazy and we didn't have to que (got there fairly early on)

Thank you :) I have been to the science museum about 10 years ago with my oldest and it wasn't nearly as packed as the natural history museum so that's on the list. I've just got horrific memories of a mega meltdown in the British Museum last summer when it was so packed we couldn't even get out quickly and since then we've just avoided anywhere at peak time!

Museum of London tends to be less crowded, ditto the Tower if you avoid the Crown Jewels or go to them early/late. Several of the crowded museums empty out by 3-4pm so can be worth going out later.

Where is the exhibition?

It's at the British Museum scene of past trauma

We went to the Olafur Eliasson at Tate Modern with my 2. Ds2 (11) has HFA, hates crowds. The exhibition was busy but not crazy crowded and there were a lot of amazing sensory experiences in it that he loved. Also a lot of quiet nooks in the gallery for decompression time.

The Wellcome collection?

The geology side of the natural history museum is usually quieter, my go to suggestion though is a river bus to the maritime museum and royal observatory, not that kid oriented but was in the middle of a refit 2 years ago so should be better now, the park is right there to burn off energy

We did the planetarium in Greenwich last year and whilst the show itself was perfect and he loved it, the queue to get in was almost too much and we nearly had to leave. I wish more places offered a queue jump with proof of disability, it would make a lot of things that we don't even attempt much more accessible!

Ps avoid the British museum at all cost, it's a nightmare, never again

There's a dog art show on at Southwark park gallery might be a bit out of the way though...

Manga exhibition? You could go up to the new development at Kings Cross. If you’re really early, platform 93/4? Then there is water fountains and the canal - just a big wide space and all walkable. Or the postal museum?

Also, I’ve been told that you go up and just ask to get into most museums and say you have a child with ASD and they will just let you in without queuing. I usually have my DLA letter on me and we go to relaxed ASD mornings in museums.

When I first took ASD son to London for the natural history museum I was completely niave about the queue to get in, and almost cried when I saw the length of it. I politely asked one of the staff when a better time would be to return, as he was autistic and couldn't queue that long, fully expecting to come back around 4pm, but the member of staff took us right to the front and through the entrance and directed us to quieter displays. Their ASD training there is excellent (we have done their early ASD mornings before too) so you could give it a try on the way to the science museum (equally good, though avoid the hands on stuff in the bottom corridor as it's usually massively overcrowded with noisy kids)

Oh really @imip ? I have a copy of the DLA letter in my bag so could try that.

The wellcome collection is a good shout, always has interesting stuff on and isn't too far from the British museum. Also Coram's fields park is nearby which is lovely.

Soane's Museum is an interesting afternoon - it is more aimed at adults so it is quieter/more sedate and doesn't have huge queues as it is a single townhouse, but it is a "cabinet of curiosities" type place - they have an egyptian mummy's coffin, some famous paintings and lots of interesting knick knacks etc that you could chat about 1-to-1 for a couple of hours with a 7yr old. www.soane.org/

Several museums close by the BM are quite quiet in the week: Freemasonry museum, Foundling Museum, Charles Dickens Museum, Sir John Soane Museum.

The Postal Museum is excellent. I would highly recommend it.

Our ds2 has asd and we have similar struggles but it's surprising what is manageable! Our tip is also to always get there early.

Science museum is definitely good - but instead of doing downstairs, head straight upstairs to the flight section, always virtually empty. Or instead of the overwhelming sensory basement bit, head next door for a charmingly retro exhibit with old household appliances and things and tons of very satisfying buttons.

Avoid the Transport Museum like the plague, packed and so stressful.

My 7 year old enjoyed the current exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, which is about magic. It's aimed at adults really but if he might be interested in how tricks are done then it is free and not too hectic. Don't go if he is a bit anxious as there is lots of creepy stuff about seances at the start!
My DD liked it and has been doing magic tricks ever since we went

I'd go to the science museum. They have a gorgeous real life spaceship that looks like it was made from silver foil. Then there's the sensory basement and the hands on area upstairs which is brilliant. Lots of quiet but intriguing sections to disappear into if the kids' sections get too busy.

And Natural History museum is good. ASD DS spent hours just in the precious stones collection at about that age. By the end we had three curators showing us around because they'd never had a child so struck by it.

I’m London based, lots of friends with ASD dc do this. They get in no questions asked. I haven’t tried it as I usually go to relaxed openings.

The Grant Museum of Zoology is nearby and always quiet.

If he likes history the clink prison museum and the old operating theatre museum are within walking distance of each other and are both small and fairly quiet.