Museum of Science and Industry

Most objects on display can only be experienced by viewing them in showcases or behind barriers. This is because there is always a risk of damage when objects are handled. However, the Collections Centre was designed to give visitors more direct access to some of the objects in our collections.

Handling boxes

We have chosen a variety of smaller objects for use in handling activities. These objects are kept in the Handling Area in the Collections Centre. We run themed handling sessions at advertised times and handling boxes are also available for use on a drop-in basis. You can find out what's available for handling by entering "Handling Area" in the Current Location field of the Research query form in the Collections Online section.

Store tours and trails

Many of our large objects pose health and safety risks so we can only allow supervised access to storage areas. We offer themed store tours and self-guided trails at advertised times.