Science Museum Group © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
- Visit the Science and Industry Museum between Saturday 14 December and Sunday 5 January to enjoy Light Lab – a free family-friendly exploration into light and colour.
- Watch the live recording of the 2024 Royal Institution Christmas Lecture on 10 December ahead of its broadcast on the BBC.
- Get hands on with five decades of video games in interactive experience, Power Up.
Brighten up the winter holidays with an adventure though light and colour, explore a gaming extravaganza and be engrossed by festive science shows at the Science and Industry Museum this winter.
From Saturday 14 December 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025, the museum’s free Light Lab returns – inviting everyone to discover the secrets of light through illuminating activities, special shows and immersive experiences.
A series of illuminating experiments will bring colour to grey winter days in the interactive Light Lab. Visitors can explore a hall of mirrors, discover how to bend light and even take a dance break in the rave room. Journey from the Sun back to the Earth during special science shows led by the museum’s team of expert Explainers, discover how light travels through our atmosphere, explore the science of solar flares and marvel at a mesmerising display of the Northern Lights with NASA footage of the Aurora Borealis.
Visitors can slow things down in the Recharge Retreat and get comfortable with a picture book or explore the relationship between colour and mood and why nature is so important to our health.
Anyone looking to be whisked away on new adventures can also enjoy the ultimate gaming experience, Power Up and immerse themselves in a host of different digital worlds. Players can work their way through five decades of video games and over 150 consoles. Whether it’s revelling in nostalgia with retro arcade classics Pong and Pac-Man, rocking out on Guitar Hero or tackling a virtual reality mission with Astro Bot, there’s something for everyone.
For something a little different this festive season, visitors can grab a ticket for the first of the 2024 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, as it is screened live at the museum on Tuesday 10 December ahead of being broadcast on the BBC.
Dr Chris van Tulleken will be delving deep into our guts to reveal the latest science around what happens inside our bodies when we eat. Chris, one third of the Operation Ouch! presenting trio who were featured in the museum’s hit exhibition Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You, will reveal how what we eat can have a huge effect on our brains and bodies.
The recordings have been screened at the Science and Industry Museum since 2018 to offer audiences outside of London access to the live event and an exclusive glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes to create the prestigious programme. It will be streamed to an audience in the museum’s Revolution Manchester gallery ahead of its broadcast on BBC Four and iPlayer between Christmas and New Year.
Tash Camberwell, School and Families Producer at the Science and Industry Museum, said:
‘We’re delighted that our interactive Light Lab is returning for another year to brighten up the winter holidays and it’s bigger and better than ever! There are so many playful, entertaining and insightful experiences to enjoy. Whether it’s witnessing the beauty of the Northern Lights, discovering the secrets of colours or exploring hundreds of video games, there’s something for everyone to explore.’
The museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration programme. Spaces including the Power Hall and 1830 Station are currently closed to the public but there’s still lots to enjoy. Visitors can see science in action in the museum’s interactive gallery, Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery and discover world changing ideas in Revolution Manchester. Incredible objects from Professor Stephen Hawking’s office are also on display in its highlights display.
Tickets for the Christmas Lecture on 10 December cost £5 for adults and £3 for children and concessions. Free museum tickets, plus tickets for Power Up, £8 for a day pass/£15 for an annual pass, can be booked now. Full details of the winter holiday activities can be found on the museum’s website (https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/winter-2024). To book tickets in advance, visitors can also call 033 0058 0058.