Thinktank: Birmingham's Science Museum

Millennium Point
Curzon Street
Birmingham
Birmingham
B4 7XG
England

logo: Designated as an Outstanding Collection

Website

Main website

www.thinktank.ac

Planetarium website

www.thinktank.ac/planetarium

Planetarium Facebook Page

www.facebook.com/ThinktankPlanet

Planetarium Foursquare Check-in

foursquare.com/venue/2498773

E-mail

General

findout@thinktank.ac

Planetarium Team

planetarium@thinktank.ac

Telephone

Box Office

0121 202 2222

Groups Hotline

0121 202 2244

Fax

General

0121 202 2280

All information is drawn or provided by the venues themselves and every effort is made to ensure it is correct. Please remember to double check opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit.
venue representative image
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Where can you explore deepest space, find out how doctors perform life-saving surgery and travel back in time to Birmingham's amazing industrial past, all under one roof? Thinktank, Birmingham's award-winning science museum, offers an extraordinary, fun-packed day out for families and school groups. From steam engines to intestines, Thinktank has over 200 hands-on exhibits on science and discovery from the past, present and future. This includes the state-of-the-art Planetarium, where you can tour the night sky and fly through the galaxy without stepping a foot outside!

Thinktank also offers a huge programme of educational activities for children and families including workshops, classes, laboratory sessions and interactive science shows.

This museum has a Designated Collection of national importance.

Venue Type:

Museum, Science centre

 Opening hours

Thinktank is open seven days a week from 10.00am to 5.00pm with last admissions at 4.00pm.

Thinktank is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

 Admission charges

Adults: £9.25
Children: £7.25
Concessions: £7.25
Family ticket (2 adults and 2 children): £28.00
Planetarium: free with museum entry

Adult Annual Ticket: £37.00
Child Annual Ticket: £26.00
Family Annual Ticket (2 adult and up to 3 children): £65.00
Annual Concession: £32.00

Discounts

  • Museums Association

Thinktank's Science and Industry collection is a Designated Collection of national importance.

The Designated science and industry collections consist of around 40,000 objects, including James Watt's Smethwick engine of 1779, the oldest working steam engine in the world. The quality, range and depth of the city’s combined collections reflect its status as Britain’s second city; the collections have broader significance in terms of the social, industrial, commercial and cultural history of the city, the region and the nation.

Move It: Historical planes, trains and automobiles.
Power Up: Some of the most magnificent working steam engines.
Making Things: Explore the birth of the Industrial Revolution as man and machine meet in the workplace.
City Stories: A journey through Birmingham’s industrial past
The Street: Discover the science we all take for granted.
Kids' City: A place where families with young children can play and learn together.
Things About Me: Get to grips with your guts, learn about the senses and voyage through veins and ventricles in an amazing exploration of the body.
Medicine Matters: See how doctors perform life saving surgery and find out about some medical advances in which Birmingham has played a key role.
Wild Life: Find out how scientists study the wild world and how clever animals adapt to change.
Futures Gallery: See how the future is being shaped by cutting edge technology.
Planetarium: Be spellbound as we fly you through the galaxy in our new 70 seat Planetarium powered by Digistar 3, the world's most advanced digital Planetarium projection system.

Collection details

Weapons and War, Social History, Science and Technology, Natural Sciences, Medicine, Land Transport, Inland Waterways, Industry, Coins and Medals, Aviation, Archives

Key artists and exhibits

  • The Smethwick Beam Engine (oldest active steam engine in the world)
  • Railton Mobil Special
  • The City of Birmingham Locomotive
  • eMo - The Emotional Robot
  • Designated Collection
Resources listed here may include websites, bookable tours and workshops, books, loan boxes and more. You may need to scroll down or click on headers to see them all.
 Face to face resources

LEGO Forces & Friction- KS2 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

What are forces and how are they useful to us? Race our special solar-powered LEGO cars and test them on multi-surface tracks.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Bissell Street Blast- KS2-4 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Local Study/Victorian Britain: impact of changes to work and transport. In 1893 a boiler exploded at Phillips' Rivet and Screw Works killing two employees. Pupils take on the roles of those involved to investigate factory conditions using original atefacts, Thinktank galleries and costume.
The workshops lasts for approximately 1 hour and costs and additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wid

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Colour in the Natural World- KS1 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Wy are zebras stripy and ladybirds spotty and what colour are chameleons really? Using real animal artefacts discover how animals use colour to survive.
Suitable for 5-7 years.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £1 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Colour Me a Rainbow- KS1 Show

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Find out where light comes from, what shadows are and how we are surrounded by colourful rainbows, in this eye catcing show.
Colour Me a Rainbow is just one in our range of lively and entertaining Science Shows. Tailored specifically to meet the curriculum needs of Early Years and Key Stages 1-4, our Science Shows combine a unique learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and fuel their curiosity!
All shows last approximately 45 minutes and cost an additional £1 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Colourful Chemical Change Show- KS1-4

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Amazing demonstrations of reversible and irreversible reactions using exciting materials such as liquid nitrogen, frozen carbon dioxide, luminescent chemicals and coloured flames.
The Colourful Chemical Change Show is just one in our range of lively and entertaining Science Shows. Tailored specifically to meet the curriculum needs of Early Years and Key Stages 1-4, our Science Shows combine a unique learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and fuel their curiosity!
All shows last approximately 45 minutes and cost an additional £1 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Crime Detectives- KS2-4 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Become a forensic scientist and help solve a burglary. Take fingerprints, analyse fibres, hair and DNA profiles in our crime lab to find out "who dunnit".
The workshop lasts approximately 1 hour and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Dynamic Earth- KS2-4 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Explore earth sciences through casting fosils in plaster of Paris, matching rock samples to their position in the rock cycle and investigating rock samples using 'feely bags'.
The workshop lasts approximately 1 hour and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Early Years Club

http://www.thinktank.ac/event-detail.asp?section=0001000100020002&itemid=555

Come and join the Thinktank team for some highly interactive drop-in sessions aimed specifically at families with under children under 5 years old. Combining storytelling, activity sessions and creative play, we will entertain and encourage your children to express themselves within the learning environment of the museum. Sessions take place on Wednesday mornings at 11.30.

How to obtain

Book online or contact findout@thinktank.ac or 0121 2022222 for more details.

Electrifying Science- KS1-4 Show

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Take part in the exciting story of how electricity was discovered. Be a volunteer in some hair-raising experiments into how electricity is used and controlled. Adapted for people with Severe Learning Dificulties.
Electrifying Science is just one in our range of lively and entertaining Science Shows. Tailored specifically to meet the curriculum needs of Early Years and Key Stages 1-4, our Science Shows combine a unique learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and fuel their curiosity!
All shows last approximately 45 minutes and cost an additional £1 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Freddie's Fantastic Film Adventure Storytelling

http://www.thinktank.ac/event-detail.asp?itemid=580&itemTitle=Freddie%27s+Fantastic+Film+Adventure+storytelling&section=0001000100020002

Come along to storytelling with a difference, specially designed for children aged 0-8 years, at 12.00 on weekends and school holidays. Meet young Freddie who will take you behind the scenes to see how films are made as he records a wildlife documentary in a tropical rainforest.

How to obtain

Storytelling is free to ThinkTank ticket holders. Contact findout@thinktank.ac or call 0121 2022222 for more details.

Green to Grime- KS2-4 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Local Study/Victorian Britain. Investigate three different types of homes in Victorian Birmingham through primary sources- artefacts, original costume and oral histories.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

How to Energise Your Teacher- KS3/4 Show

http://www. thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

"Energy" is a concept best illustrated with a variety of experiments. Skateboard, swivel chair, large tripod with pulleys and swings... all are used in this lively science show which invites audience, and teacher, participation- guaranteed to get your pupils' attention.
How to Energise Your Teacher is just one in our range of lively and entertaining Science Shows. Tailored specifically to meet the curriculum needs of Early Years and Key Stages 1-4, our Science Shows combine a unique learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and inspire them to find out more!
All shows last approximately 45 minutes and cost an additional £1 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

LEGO Control Technology- KS2-4 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Use our award winning Robolab software to programme and control LEGO buggies in Thinktank's LEGOLab, the largest interactive educational esperience outside LEGOLAND Windsor!
The workshop lasts for approximately 1 hour and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

LEGO Levers and Gears- KS1 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Get to grips with gears through fun investigations, games and practical activities using LEGO cranes in Thinktank's LEGOLab.
Suitable for ages 5-7 years.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £1 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Mini-beast Meals- KS2 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Investigate a range of live and unusual creepy crawlies. Use computer microscopes to explore a variety of insects and discover how their anatomy can help them, and us, survive.
Links to QCA Schemes of Work unit 4B: Habitats and Unit 6A: Interdependence and Adaptation.
The workshop lasts approximately 1 hour and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resourc

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

On Your Wavelength

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Brand new show for 2005- Explore the invisible world of radiation and waves from gamma, infrared and mocrowaves to ultraviolet, the visible spectrum and x-rays. Audience participation and exciting demonstrations put the whole spectrum into the context of everyday uses.
Suitable for GCSE Physics OCR: Block 4.4 Using Waves, Edexcel: P3 Waves, AQA: Module 12 Waves and Radiation.
On Your Wavelength is just one in our range of lively and entertaining Science Shows. Tailored specifically to meet the curriculum needs of Early Years and Key Stages 1-4, our Science Shows combine a unique learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and inspire them to find out more!
Al

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Science of Sport- KS3/4 Show

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Find out more about the science of "Bending it like Beckham", crazy cricket and balance a Sumo wrestler! When you're playing sport you don't often think about the science behind it. Join us in this interactive show and maybe by the end you'll get the point in our spiky finale!
Science of Sport is just one in our range of lively and entertaining Science Shows. Tailored specifically to meet the curriculum needs of Early Years and Key Stages 1-4, our Science Shows combine a unique learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and inspire them to find out more!
All shows last approximately 45 minutes and cost an additional £1 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Sound Explorers- Early Years & KS1 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

What can we hear all around us? Why are some sounds different to others? Make and change sounds using musical instruments from around the world.
Suitable for 3-7 year olds.
Early Learning Goals: exploration and investigation, music.
The Workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £1 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Space Mission- KS2 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Make and use different orreries to understand the movements of the sun, moon and earth. Find out what it takes to explore space!
The workshops is around 1 hour long and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Callsthe Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Stay and Play

http://www.thinktank.ac/page.asp?section=381&sectionTitle=Early+Years+Activities

These sessions are specifically designed with under 5’s in mind. For 90 minutes, you will experience one of our galleries as well as learning through stories and a make and take activity that allows parents and children to play together creatively. Led by one of our experienced presenters, these sessions are fun learning activities at a fantastic price. Developed using the Every Child Matters Agenda, these sessions are targeted at early years groups including Surestart and nurseries. Sessions take place on weekday mornings.

How to obtain

The minimum number of children in a group is 8 and adults go free with paying children. The sessions cost £2 per child with adults going free. Call Thinktank on 0121 202 2244 for more details.

The Five Senses- KS1 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

What are the five senses? Where re our sense organs? Take a look at we use our senses and play a character in our sensational story!
Suitable for ages 5-7 years. Links to QCA Schemes of Work Unit 1A: Ourselves and Unit 1F: Sound and Hearing.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £1 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

The Luminous Light Show- KS2

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Witness Isaac Newton's experiment to split light into the colours of the rainbow, paint with coloured light and find out where all this light comes from!
The Luminous Light Show is just one in our range of lively and entertaining Science Shows. Tailored specifically to meet the curriculum needs of Early Years and Key Stages 1-4, our Science Shows combine a unique learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and fuel their curiosity!
All shows last approximately 45 minutes and cost an additional £1 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

The Very Healthy Eating Caterpillar-KS1 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

Join the caterpillar as he munches his way through healthy food helping him to grow into a beautiful butterfly. A fun way to learn the importance of healthy eating.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £1 per pupil.
Suitable for ages 5-7 years. Links to QCA Schemes of Work Unit 2A: Health and Growth.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244 for more information and help organising your visit to Thinktank.

Thinktank Education Science Shows- KS3/4

http://www.thinktank.ac/education.htm

Thinktank Education's lively and entertaining science shows have been specially created in line key curriculum criteria. All shows provide a unique, fun, learning experience with lots of audience participation to engage pupils and inspire them to find out more. Shows include ‘How to Energise Your Teacher’; ‘Science of Sport’; ‘Electrifying Science’; ‘Colourful Chemical Change Show’ and, brand new for 2005, ‘On Your Wave Length’. All shows last approximately 45 minutes and cost an additional £1 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Thinktank Education Workshops- KS3/4

http://www.thinktank.ac/education.htm

Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum. They are specially adapted for either KS3 or KS4 with supporting pre & post visit materials. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement. Pupils are encouraged to explore concepts and experiment with a wide range of engaging resources and materials. Workshops are approximately 1 hour long and cost an additional £2 per pupil.

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Toys and Games- Early Years & KS1 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

This is your chance to compare and contrast original Victorian and 1950's toys with replica Tudor toys in a hands on workshop.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £1 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Wild Things- KS2-4 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

How do animals live in their environments? How do you identify a preditor or prey?Activity based enquiry using an amazing an amazing collection of real specimens.
The workshop lasts for approximately 1 hour and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

Wireless to Web- KS2-4 Workshop

http://www.thinktank.ac/education/default.htm

How much has technology changed in the last 65 years? Explore those changes using original artefacts; edit film footage and use computers to create different types of animations.
The workshop is approximately 1 hour long and costs an additional £2 per pupil.
Thinktank Education offers a range of interactive workshops, which are directly linked to the National Curriculum for Early Years and Key Stages 1-4. The workshops allow pupils to benefit from the memorable learning that arises through investigation and personal involvement, exploring concepts and experimenting with a wide range of engaging resources and materials!

How to obtain

Call the Schools Hotline on 0121 202 2244

 Digital and online resources

Move it! In 1850 by Train, Wagon and Boat

http://www.show.me.uk/hosted/networks/networks.swf

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