Sleep beneath spacecraft, step into wartime trenches and explore London’s most dynamic museums, from the Science Museum to the V&A East Museum. Discovery here is anything but static, reports Kathryn Conway
The British Museum
The world’s oldest national public museum, The British Museum allows you to travel through millennia, taking in rare objects from Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, Mesopotamia, Asia and way beyond.
Must see: The Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian sculpture gallery.
Must do: An out-of-hours tour of the oldest room in the museum (various dates).
Fun fact: Twice a month, the Urasenke Foundation demonstrates a Japanese tea ceremony in the Japanese Galleries.
Science Museum
A South Kensington institution, the Science Museum brings science, technology and innovation to life and even has a piece of the Moon on show in its Space gallery. For out-of-this-world fun, book a slot and pop along to the Jellycat Space Shop (to 30 May).
Must see: The Wonderlab and Power Up interactive galleries.
Must do: Astronights, a space-themed sleepover for kids and their grown-ups (15 May).
Fun fact: The world’s oldest clock and watch collection is on Level 2.
RAF Museum London
Historic hangars in the RAF Museum London house more than 100 aircraft alongside interactive experiences that bring the drama of flight and aerial combat to life.
Must see: The Avro Lancaster Mk I ‘S-Sugar’, a World War II bomber that flew 137 missions, and the Avro Vulcan B2. See the latter up close at The Vulcan and Cold War Experience (13 & 26 May).
Must do: Do your best Top Gun impression in the exhilarating Typhoon Flight Simulator.
Did you know? AeroPlay!, the museum’s aviation- themed indoor soft-play area, is now open.
The Household Cavalry Museum
Take a rare behind-the-scenes look at the soldiers and horses who protect the royal family at the Household Cavalry Museum.
Must see: Thanks to a glass partition, you can see directly into the stables and watch troopers grooming and saddling the horses ready for duty.
Must do: Time your visit with Changing the King’s Life Guard on Horse Guards Parade, or book an interactive guided tour of the museum (3 May).
Fun fact: The Four O’Clock Inspection is known as the ‘Punishment Parade’ after it was introduced by Queen Victoria when she found her guards either asleep or gambling.
Design Museum
The cutting-edge Design Museum in Kensington reveals how design shapes the way we live – it’s the place most likely to make you go: ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’
Must see: The Designer Maker User collection and the Crowdsourced Wall.
Must do: NIGO: From Japan with Love exhibition (1 May-4 Oct), which includes a recreation of the designer’s teenage bedroom.
Fun fact: The museum’s first site, when it opened in 1989, was an old banana-ripening warehouse by the River Thames close to Tower Bridge.
Imperial War Museum (IWM) London
The Imperial War Museum London poignantly catalogues the human side of conflict, with exhibits ranging from objects of war to photographs and personal letters.
Must see: The Air Raid Precautions Warden’s Shelter used during the Blitz (the bombing of London) in the Second World War Galleries. Must do: Walk through the immersive trench experience in the First World War Galleries.
Did you know? The naval guns outside the museum were fired in action during World War II.
V&A East Museum
Part of the new cultural quarter, East Bank, the V&A East Museum places objects from different cultures and time periods side by side to tell stories about creativity and identity.
Must see: The Music is Black: A British Story explores 125 years of Black British music.
Must do: Snapping a picture of yourself next to A Place Beyond, a monumental bronze sculpture by Thomas J Price, just outside the entrance.
Fun fact: The museum was co-created in partnership with young people in east London.
V&A South Kensington
A celebration of art, design and crafts, the world-renowned V&A South Kensington houses more than 145 galleries and has a beautiful courtyard – the John Madejski Garden – to pause in.
Must see: Tipu’s Tiger, an 18th-century life-sized (almost) wooden model of a tiger mauling a European soldier.
Must do: Join the Highlights of the V&A tour (daily) to learn more about objects on show.
Fun fact: A statue representing ‘fame’, which sits atop the central tower above the main entrance, is missing its nose.
London Canal Museum
Discover a surprising story about Victorian ice cream as you learn about London’s waterways and the people who worked on them at London Canal Museum.
Must see: The Coronis narrowboat and its tiny cabin, where entire families once lived.
Must do: An Historic Boat Trip aboard Tarporley through the long Islington Tunnel to Kingsland Basin with guided commentary, plus tea/coffee and biscuits (13 & 27 May).
Fun fact: It’s home to what is believed to be the only commercial ice wells in the UK that are still visible to the public.
The National Maritime Museum
Expect a giant version of a ship in a bottle and hands-on exhibits that make maritime history feel like an adventure at the National Maritime Museum.
Must see: Polar Worlds gallery to view items used in early expeditions to the South Pole.
Must do: Unboxing the Universe (weekends; Fri to Mon during school holidays), where you can learn what the solar system smells like!
Fun fact: Book the Astronomers Take Over experience and you can pull up a chair for a chat with expert astronomers.
The Postal Museum
The Postal Museum delivers the surprising story of Britain’s postal system, revealing quirky inventions and a hidden underground railway that once moved millions of letters beneath London.
Must see: Send a message across the museum via the pneumatic tube system.
Must do: Ride the Mail Rail and let kids enjoy an immersive town in Sorted! The Postal Play Space.
Fun fact: Britain’s post boxes weren’t always red. Painted green in the 1850s, then they were changed back to red so they would be more visible.
London Transport Museum
Explores 200 years of transport history in the city, featuring iconic red Routemaster buses, vintage Tube carriages and the evolution of the famous Underground map at London Transport Museum.
Must see: Test your motoring skills in the transport driving simulators.
Must do: Tour Dover Street, a station within a station (various dates), and enjoy classical music and jazz from Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban students (1, 8 & 15 May).
Fun fact: The museum is located in Covent Garden in a former Victorian flower market.
Museum of Youth Culture
Opening on 15 May in Camden, the Museum of Youth Culture is the world’s first museum dedicated to teenage life and subculture has three galleries packed full with photograps, artefacts, audio, fashion and ’zines.
Must see: An original Sony Walkman with separate ‘Guys & Dolls’ headphone jacks.
Must do: Look out for the Rough Trade shop (the independent record label celebrates its 50th anniversary this year).
Fun fact: The museum has evolved from a photo archive kept in a garden shed.
