While the museum is temporarily closed from June 2023 to Summer 2024, our learning team will be delivering outreach activities in schools and community groups around Bradford district.
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From September 2023, our schools outreach activities will cover a range of subjects including light, sound and working scientifically. Our visits will be free of charge within Bradford postcodes (BD1–12) and Keighley (BD21), and booking will be available by the end of the summer term.
While we're closed, you can still explore all our learning resources for use in the classroom and beyond.
Availability
Please note that due to large numbers of bookings, we are currently unable to accept groups without a booking made at least two weeks in advance.
Your group
We are open seven days a week for education groups, Booking is essential. The minimum group size is 15; there is no maximum group size, although numbers are limited for gallery sessions and shows.
Adults must accompany children at all times. The adult:student ratio is 1:8 for ages 5 to 11, 1:10 for ages 11 to 16, and 1:30 for ages 16 to 18. For primary age children, we suggest bringing more adults if you can.
Health and safety
We take the health and safety of all our visitors very seriously. All areas of the museum, plus our educational shows and workshops, are regularly risk assessed. We have a daily programme of checks, and any hazards found are dealt with immediately.
Group leaders are responsible for the health and safety of the children in their party. Adults should stay with their groups at all times. Should an emergency or evacuation occur, our staff will be available to give you clear instructions.
The museum holds public liability insurance; the limit of indemnity is £15,000,000.
Facilities
We offer lockable trolleys for storage of coats and bags, and picnic spaces for your students to eat their packed lunch. We recommend you book these in advance—otherwise we cannot guarantee that trolleys or a lunch space will be available.
Please ask your group to bring packed lunches in labelled carrier bags rather than boxes. This saves space and ensures everything can be thrown away at the end of lunchtime so there is nothing to carry back.
Toilets are available throughout the museum and will be open for your group to use. These include a Changing Places toilet.
Accessibility
We make every effort to include students with special educational or medical needs. We are happy to discuss your requirements at the time of booking.
All areas of the museum are wheelchair-accessible, and we can offer a range of services and aids for visitors with visual or hearing impairments, learning difficulties or autism.
If you’re booking one of our educational IMAX films and need more than 4 access seats for wheelchair users, please let us know in advance so we can make sure they’re available. There is a space to provide this information when you book online.
Cost
A general visit to the museum, including our interactive gallery Wonderlab, is free. There is a charge for some events and activities, including IMAX films and the Games Lounge. There is also a charge if you add Kids’ Handbooks or gift bags to your visit.
We will always tell you about any charges on our website and at the time of booking.
Booking
Use the calendar on our Learning page to plan what you would like to do on your visit. Please note that most of our learning packages and educational IMAX films are available on specified dates only.
Please book via our group booking portal in advance of your visit. We will contact you as soon as possible to confirm your booking.
After you have made a booking, you will receive a confirmation email containing a confirmation letter and our terms and conditions. If you are booking any payable activities, it will also include your invoice and details of how to make your payment.
Log into our group booking portal to view and manage your booking.
Should you need to cancel for any reason, we require at least 28 days’ notice in writing in advance of your visit date. Terms and conditions will apply.
Payment
If you choose to include charged activities in your visit, you'll need to pay by credit or debit card at the time of booking. Formal education groups may elect to pay by invoice which carries a £25 processing fee and payment is required before your visit. See our group eticket terms and conditions for details.
Once you've booked and paid by card you can make changes to your order up to 28 days before your visit. However, formal education organisations electing to pay by invoice may only add tickets; an invoiced booking is non-transferrable and tickets may not be cancelled.
Contact us
If you have a question or enquiry, please email info@sciencemuseumgroup.ac.uk. We will get back to you as soon as we can.
If you are ready to book your visit, use our group booking portal.
Before your visit
- Your confirmation email contains your group’s museum entry e-ticket. This is a QR code which we will scan when you enter the museum.
- You can log into your group booking account to view your order and itinerary.
- If you need to make changes to your order, please contact our Group Contact Centre on 033 0058 0058 or send an email to info@sciencemuseumgroup.ac.uk at least 28 days before your visit. Please see our booking terms for further information.
- Please arrive at your stated admission time (or at least 15 minutes before your first activity). This will allow you to orientate yourselves, store your bags and make the inevitable toilet visits.
- If you have booked a picnic space, you will have this for 20 minutes. Please tidy up after yourselves.
- The museum is a public place, so please remind your group to respect other visitors, exhibits and museum staff.
- All areas of the museum are wheelchair accessible. Find out more about accessibility at the museum.
parking
Public transport
The museum is easily accessible using public transport. We’re based in Bradford city centre, a five-minute walk from Bradford Interchange bus and train station and a 15-minute walk from Bradford Forster Square train station.
Coach parking
Coaches can drop groups off at the front of the museum. However, there are no coach parking spaces at the museum itself. Coaches can park nearby, on Nelson Street, Midland Road or Sharpe Street, and the driver needs to stay with the vehicle.
Cars or minibus
The closest car park to the museum is Sharpe Street, though this has a vehicle height restriction of 2m. There are several other car parks within walking distance of the museum.
- List of car parks in Bradford city centre, Bradford Council
Code of conduct
The museum is a public place, so please remind your group to respect other visitors, exhibits and museum staff.
Outside of the hands-on galleries, many irreplaceable exhibits are on open display so you can get close to them. To preserve their longevity, please remind your group not to touch or climb on them. CCTV and security officers are in place throughout the building to monitor this.
We expect visitors of all ages to adhere to this code of conduct and poor behaviour could mean that people are asked to leave.
Risk assessments
If possible, we advise group leaders to visit the museum before bringing a group. This will help you plan your day and identify any requirements and risks. We can’t complete risk assessments on your behalf, but you may find the below information and resources useful.
- Advice on completing a risk assessment
- Hazard identification sheet
- Health and safety: advice for schools, GOV.UK
- Get ready—managing risk, Council for Learning Outside the Classroom
- School trips—tackling the health and safety myths, Health and Safety Executive
Safeguarding
Please read our safeguarding information before your visit. If you have any concerns during your visit please contact a member of staff immediately.
