1 / 3Faraday Museum at The Royal Institution
📍 London, Greater London
Free three-floor museum in the Royal Institution basement featuring Michael Faraday's reconstructed magnetic laboratory, original scientific equipment, an interactive periodic table game, and displays on Nobel Prize-winning discoveries.
🏆 Funzaroo Verdict
Best for science-curious children aged 8 and up who can engage with exhibit plaques and historical artefacts. The compact format suits a focused 45-minute stop rather than a full day. Free admission makes it low-risk for families testing a child's interest in science history. Toddlers can attend and the content is text-heavy for under-5s.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →247 Google reviews
G Reviews from Google
Laura Milner
7 months ago
“Really fascinating museum, inspiring to see these historical scientific items. It really made me remember why I fell in love with science. It would be nice to have some added information about James Dewar to highlight that he was the first person to measure the Electroretinogram in a human! An important discovery for clinical visual electrophysiologists all over the world :) the staff were really friendly as well.”
Nick Esaw
7 months ago
“This is a very historically famous and interesting museum and lecture hall. The museum is easy to get around with a lift and beautiful staircases. Loads of spaces and books. For me the highlight was Faradays original lab with interactive lecturne. There is a lot more than you would expect..also a cafe.”
Becky T
a year ago
“This free museum in the basement of the Royal Institute is super interesting and well worth 30-45 minutes. It includes information about the institute, key people and their discoveries and objects - and even a reconstructed Faraday’s lab! I found myself learning a lot throughout (particularly as a non-science person), as I wasn’t aware so many discoveries were founded by people from here - like the miner’s safety lamp 1815, 10 elements (including sodium, potassium), why the sky is blue, and the vacuum flask, to name a few. Facility wise, very clean toilets in the ground floor lobby.”
💬 What parents mention
Overview
The Faraday Museum presents 200 years of scientific history across three floors, anchored by Faraday's magnetic laboratory preserved from the 1850s. Displays include the first electrical transformer, Humphry Davy's mining lamp, and equipment that explained why the sky is blue. A lift serves all floors. An interactive chemical elements game adds a hands-on layer. Compact enough to cover thoroughly in under an hour.
