Best & Cool Science and Space Museums in Loughton

"The Science Museum in South Kensington is one of the best London museums for kids, and our top choice for interactive exhibits and amazing educational experiences. There are seven floors of exhibits across award-winning exhibitions and permanent galleries. With so much to do, visiting the Science Museum is also one of the best free things to do in London with kids."

"Now in its 53nd year, this unmissable exhibition looks at everything from elephants in their natural habitat to urban foxes peering over fences, and is a sheer delight from start to finish. Date: until 10th September"

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission is free but you are required to book a time-slot here. NEAREST METRO STATION: South Kensington"

"Kings College London only recently opened this permanent site for the Science Gallery, a dedicated space for showing contemporary artwork that explores scientific questions. Its inaugural exhibition is all about addiction, called Hooked, and previous shows in its travelling days have investigated blood, food and orifices. Think of it as looking at science through the eyes of an artist."

"Science Gallery London is an art-science-and-health inspired gallery in London. The free museum has been open since 2018 in London Bridge after a series of pop-up exhibits across London. The gallery aims to bring together scientists, artists, and communities with three themed seasons every year."

": Row upon row of glass jars, with everything from tiny organisms, to strange two-headed beasts, to examples of gross diseases, this museum can be very creepy at times, especially when it’s quiet. However, it’s so much more than the freakshow that it is sometimes made out to be, offering a unique insight into the history of surgery and advances in modern medicine. The next few months are your last chance to see the museum before it closes in 2017 for refurbishment, so get going!"

"For over 300 years, Burgh House has been one of London’s most iconic residences. It was originally built as a lavish home and lived in by characters including Elsie Bambridge, the daughter of Jungle Book author Rudyard Kipling. Today, Burgh House is open to the public and houses the Hampstead Museum, a small but thorough local history museum."

"Visitors to the Burgh House & Hampstead Museum can try on period costumes|© Ethel Davies / Alamy Stock Photo. The Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is a popular place for families with young children. This historic property has period costumes visitors can try on, a reading corner and a museum trail to explore."

"One of the biggest, busiest and most popular museums in the United Kingdom, the British Museum is astounding to visit and is home to one of the largest collections in the world. With huge galleries that house artifacts from around the globe, one could spend months in the museum and still not see everything. There are over eight million items on show; visitors will pass sarcophaguses and statues, ancient texts, art and armor, as well as jewelry, coins and more on their voyage of discovery around the museum."

"Established in 1753, the British Museum in London is a museum of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginnings to the present. Objects include the Rosetta Stone, the key to the deciphering of hieroglyphs, and the largest collection of mummies outside of Egypt."

"PRACTICAL INFORMATION: The British Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. On Fridays it closes at 8:30 pm. The museum remains closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and from 24 to 26 December."

"Established in the second half of the seventeenth century by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the Chelsea Physic Garden is one of the oldest botanical gardens in England. Included among the London Museums of Health and Medicine, this botanical garden has some unique features attracting tourists interested in botany. Noteworthy mentions are Britain’s largest fruiting olive tree and the world’s most northern grapefruit that grows outdoors."

"Alternatives: There are many other things to see in the area (mostly in Chelsea), including the Chelsea Physic Garden (fee*), Leighton House Museum (fee), Design Museum, Portobello Road Market, Chelsea Football Club Stadium Tour & Museum (fee*), and the recently renovated National Army Museum. London Itinerary Day 6 – Greenwich or Free Day"

"Fulham Palace is a site dedicated to tracing its own history. Items found on the palace's grounds date all the way back to prehistoric times; the archaeological finds are part of the museum's impressive collection of artifacts and objects. The site has been a residence of the Bishops of London since 704 and played a major role as a hospital during World War I and a refugee spot during World War II."

"A beautiful open garden, glasshouses, flowers in bloom, and brick walls, all in a place less visited by tourists which make for one great location for a photo shoot or a private event. And if you’re looking for some diversity, just walk a few steps out of Fulham Palaceand you’re right on the shore of river Thames."

"From the Tiger Territory, Gorilla Kingdom and Penguin Beach to the Butterfly Paradise and Fruit Bat Forest, the London Zoo – with 760 species across 36 acres – reigns supreme among the inner-city animal attractions. Better still, it’s set to get bigger. This spring, an epic 2,500sqm Land of the Lions enclosure opens with state-of-the-art facilities for a breeding group of endangered Asiatic lions."

"The famous London Zoo offers daily events including a free nature trail for children to tick off animals on their way around. There is daily feeding of birds, meercats, penguins at the beach, magnificent tigers, lemurs and even a giraffe high tea!. Animals show off their skills in live demonstrations; there are bug encounters and much more!"

"With an emphasis on education, wildlife conservation, and the breeding of endangered species, London Zoo offers visitors the chance to…"

"Nestled in Battersea Park, this Children’s Zoo may not exactly be big, but that’s part of its charm. They house a range of mammals, reptiles and birds, from farm to smaller exotics animals. With various feeding times, picnic and play areas and children’s rides, this zoo is especially good for the little ones."

"Battersea Park Children's Zoo is home to a host of farmyard animals, flamingos, otters and monkeys. Battersea Park, London, SW11 4NJ. Tube: Sloane Square Station"