to think the Science Museum is pants

[Pennies]

Went there today.

No obvious staff members so no-one to tell the children to go to if they get lost.

No-one to get information about the exhibits or the maze-like geography of the place.

Poor chronology of items. Very superficial explanations of exhibits and experiments - hence increased annoyance of not being able to find anyone who could tell us more about stuff.

Whole thing hugely overrated IMO.

LOL and disagree Fimbo; went to the (recently redesigned) Paris Science Museum (musee des siences naturelles) in July with 4 DC from 5 to 11 and we all found it great, particularly the Evolution March showing the genetic progression of species. Also lots of documents if you want to dig into detailed info.

Later went to the London Science Museum; not our first visit by far but after Paris it just seemed grotty and claustrophobic with poor mangy exhibits; can't be bothered until they renovate it, which is quite soon.

Absolutely no contest.

"but after Paris it just seemed grotty and claustrophobic with poor mangy exhibits"

Applies to almost anything in London

We went last summer, it was HELL so packed, the "Picnic area" is just a set of steps, crap for dh who has pretty severe arthritis, the interactive bit that the kids enjoyed was good ,but small and accessible via a nightmarishly massive queue, found it hard to find stuff and hard to see stuff when you got to it as you either had to wait in a boring line (not good with small kids) for AGES or there were too many people to get near anything. Cafes were rammed and oh god it was just a NIGHTMARE!!!!!!

i love it, but you have to get in at 10am on a Sunday (or the last day of term, brilliant as no school parties in!) and head straight for either the basement or the 3rd floor, then you get a bit of time and space for yourselves. after 11am it is packed and hot and you constantly fall over tourists with matching back packs or ludicrously noisy school parties with the attention span of a gnat (collectively).

national history museum is worse imo - that display with all the fake tatty foam and painted animals, wtf? and it is roasting hot. and you can't see the dinosaurs properly, have to shuffle along in a queue along a raised platform.

Disclaimer: none of the above may apply if your children are over 4, but that's how it works with 3yrs or under!