London is always packed with brilliant new things to do, but this breathtaking cosmic adventure is truly on another level. 🌌
The legendary Science Museum in South Kensington has officially launched an extraordinary new immersive space exploration.
After an extensive planning process, Fever, in collaboration with the renowned US-based Smithsonian Institution has transformed a room at the museum into a vast digital universe.
12 August 2026 10:00 + more dates
The highly anticipated collaboration takes the classic planetarium format and completely flips it on its head.
Here is how you can experience it for yourself.
The ultimate London and Washington connection
The Smithsonian is globally celebrated for pioneering astrophysics and holding massive collections of artefacts.
Now, you don’t even have to book a transatlantic flight to experience its brilliance.
The scientists at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory have worked incredibly hard to translate cold, complex astronomical data into a vibrant, living universe right here in the capital.
The relentless energy of London’s Science Museum meets the cutting-edge innovation of the Smithsonian in a spectacular crossover that beautifully bridges the gap between two iconic cultural institutions.
Stepping into a living cosmos
Beyond the stunning visuals, Smithsonian Starstruck ensures that you are completely enveloped in the stars from the moment you put on your lightweight VR headset.
The visual storytelling uses state-of-the-art 3D virtual reality to translate real data captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
You can witness the birth and death of stars and feel the sheer scale of our solar system floating around you.
Guided by a celestial virtual astronaut named Astro, visitors travel between a dozen incredible destinations.
You can explore Janssen, an exoplanet where volcanoes erupt and diamonds glitter beneath the surface, or stand on the edge of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. The experience perfectly bridges the gap between complex astrophysics and futuristic tech!
A mind-blowing journey for stargazers
This multisensory approach runs for 40 minutes, taking groups of up to six guests on a shared voyage to faraway celestial bodies.
When you witness a red supergiant star erupt into a supernova, you feel the sheer magnitude of the universe in a way that flat images simply cannot capture.
By translating complex scientific ideas into a tangible format, the experience encourages pure curiosity. It illustrates that humans are not just observers of the cosmos, but an active part of it.
What you need to know before you go
The best part of this experience is that it’s only a portion of what this incredible London museum can offer.
The experience is located right inside the Science Museum, offering a perfect day out for stargazers and tech lovers alike.
Once you step back into reality, you absolutely have to wander through the museum’s newly revamped, free-to-enter Space gallery.
It is home to some seriously mind-blowing artefacts, including a genuine 3-billion-year-old piece of Moon rock.
You can also get up close to the scorched Soyuz descent module that actually brought British astronaut Tim Peake back to Earth.
They even have the Apollo 10 command module on display, the exact spacecraft that orbited the Moon in 1969 as the dress rehearsal for Apollo 11.
Pairing these real-world pieces of cosmic history with the cutting-edge Smithsonian Starstruck VR adventure makes this the ultimate space-geek day out in the capital.
Here are a few quick details to help you plan your visit:
- Where: Science Museum, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD.
- Who: Recommended for ages 10 and above, making it brilliant for families with older children and teenagers.
- Tickets: You will need to book a paid ticket for the Smithsonian Starstruck experience, as well as a free general admission ticket to enter the Science Museum itself.
.jpg){kind=link}