Due to popular demand, the Science and Innovation Park in Wiltshire has increased availability of its behind-the-scenes tours at the Hawking Building, with groups now able to visit on Fridays to explore over 300,000 objects from the Science Museum Group Collection.
The Hawking Building is the equivalent in size to 600 double decker buses and is used to store over 300,000 objects from the Science Museum Group collection. The building also houses conservation laboratories and research areas.
Since opening its doors in October 2024, thousands of visitors have explored the collection of objects from science, technology, engineering, and medicine.
What to expect on behind-the-scenes tours
Led by an expert guide, the tours introduce visitors to world-changing objects not in display in the museums and invite them to discover the stories behind them, while also enjoying views of this state-of-the-art site and seeing Science Museum Group staff at work caring for the collection.
Tours explore the 3,487 square metre grid at the heart of the building featuring hundreds of large objects, including a Spacelab 2 X-ray telescope carried into orbit by the US Space Shuttle Challenger, a 19.2 metre-long racing boat, and a 5 metre-tall tramcar.
Other pieces in the collection include a Dalek and Cyberman from Doctor Who, a replica of Maria Robot from the 1927 film Metropolis and a tiny toy duck that helped a spacecraft land on a comet.
Tours and booking information for group visits
The 90-minute group tours take place at 10am and 1pm on Fridays. Bookings for group tours are currently available up to 27th November.
Each tour has 15 places and larger groups of up to 30 people will be split across the two timeslots.
For more information about group tours and to book, visit www.scienceinnovationpark.org.uk.
