Science Museum

Rockets, steam engines and hands-on galleries; the best wet-day museum for children.

Wonderlab, the interactive gallery, is the reason to bring children (it is ticketed; the rest is free). Adults get the Apollo capsule, the Flight gallery and the Information Age rooms. It shares a street with the Natural History Museum and the V&A, so a rainy day can be spent without going outside for more than a minute.

When it works

Indoors, so the weather does not matter. Best morning, afternoon. Free; Wonderlab and IMAX ticketed.

Good for kids and step-free visits.

On these lists

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Opening hours and prices change; the official site has the current ones. See everything in London ranked for right now.