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 Science and history: the great museums British Museum The British Museum is home to some of the rarest treasures of history and is Britain's single most popular tourist attraction. This is where the controversial Elgin Marbles are kept – the row over whether the gigantic strip of sculptures taken from the side of the Parthenon should be returned to Greece has simmered for nearly 200 years. There are also fragments from two of the Wonders of the Ancient World – a marble horse from the tomb of King Mausolos and a marble column drum from the Temple of Artemis. In addition, of course, are a vast number of other intriguing artefacts, such as a bathtub from Ur, believed to have been the world's first great city; the remains of the Lindow Man, who was preserved in a bog after being ritually sacrificed 2,000 years ago; and the Rosetta Stone, from which the Egyptian hieroglyphs were translated. Address: Great Russell St, WC1. Tel: +44 (0)20 7323 8000. Tube: Holborn Natural History The Natural History Museum is a huge, sprawling mass of exhibits, and there are enough of them to get thoroughly, if enjoyably, lost. The museum has always made the most of its dinosaur exhibits: the most popular part is the Dinosaur gallery, and there is an entire plaster cast skeleton of a diplodocus in the Central Hall. There is also a life-sized animatronic model of a dinosaur being attacked and eaten – guaranteed to entertain the kids. Other attractions include an earthquake simulator and the insect room – known as Creepy Crawlies. There is also a Wildlife Garden, described as the museum's "first living exhibition." The NHM is immensely popular with children, and often has special exhibitions geared towards them, that are nevertheless equally as fascinating for adults. Address: Cromwell Road, SW7. Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5000. Tube: South Kensington Science The Science Museum, next door to the Natural History Museum, has seven floors dedicated to the history and future of technological achievement. Much of it is geared towards interactivity and "hands-on" exhibits - a great number of classroom trips are taken here in an attempt to make science interesting for bored schoolchildren throughout the country. The new Wellcome Wing is a glimpse into the future, with intriguing – and occasionally scary – displays on genetics, computers, and potential science breakthroughs, such as holidaying in space and male birth. Elsewhere, the Science and Art of Medicine gallery features a massive display of medical developments through time. The most eye-catching exhibits include a mummified head and George Washington's dentures. Address: Exhibition Road, SW7. Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 4455. Tube: South Kensington Related links:  British Museum
National History Museum
Science Museum
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