Discover the Fascinating World of Science with Extended Guided Tours at Wroughton Park in 2026

Guided tours of the Science and Innovation Park in Wroughton have been extended in 2026 to seven days a week. Tours will run from Monday 2 March 2026.   

Explore some of the 300,000 objects cared for in the Hawking Building, the state-of-the-art storage facility where the Science Museum Group cares for the nation’s science collection. 

Objects featured include the first vehicle to complete a motorised crossing of Antarctica, an ice cream tricycle that helped win the Second World War, and a record-breaking balloon gondola used to study the stratosphere. 

Due to popular demand, the Science and Innovation Park in Wiltshire is increasing availability for the hugely popular behind-the-scenes tours, with tours now available seven days a week. Tickets are currently available for two tours a day on weekdays and for four tours a day at weekends. Tickets are priced at £25, with discounted tickets available for local residents.

Public guided tours

Since opening its doors in October 2024, the Hawking Building has seen thousands of visitors explore the Science Museum Group’s world-class collection of objects from science, technology, engineering, and medicine. This year will see a significant increase, as more visitors than ever will access this unique facility. 

A tour group exploring the shelves the Hawking Building at the Science and Innovation Park © Science Museum Group; A Cyberman from ‘Doctor Who’ in the Hawking Building at the Science and Innovation Park © Science Museum Group

Led by an expert guide, the tours of the Hawking Building introduce the public to incredible, world-changing objects and invite them to discover the stories behind them, while also enjoying stunning views of this state-of-the-art site and seeing Science Museum Group staff at work caring for the collection.      

Tours explore the 3,487 square metre freestanding grid at the heart of the Hawking Building. The grid features hundreds of large objects, including a  Spacelab 2 X-ray telescope carried into orbit by the US Space Shuttle Challenger, a 19.2 metre-long racing boat, and a 5 metre-tall tramcar.  

View from the balcony in the Hawking Building at the Science and Innovation Park © Science Museum Group; Visitors explore the freestanding grid in the Hawking Building at the Science and Innovation Park © Science Museum Group

Hawking Building

At 90 metres wide and almost 300 metres long, the Hawking Building is the equivalent in size to 600 double decker buses. The facility enables the Science Museum Group to store, conserve, research and digitise its unique collection. Along with housing over 300,000 objects, the building contains conservation laboratories, research areas and photography studios.    

The facility is named after Professor Stephen Hawking, in recognition of the lasting impact of his scientific research and public engagement, as well as his long-standing relationship with the Science Museum Group.  

External view of the Hawking Building at the Science and Innovation Park © Science Museum Group; Aerial view of the Hawking Building at the Science and Innovation Park © Science Museum Group

The Science and Innovation Park is a 545-acre former RAF airfield near Swindon in Wiltshire. The site plays a vital role in caring for our collection, and with native woodlands, runways and one of the UK’s largest solar farms, the Park is key to the Science Museum Group’s sustainability work as well as hosting a range of research and development projects and commercial activities. At the heart of the Park is the Hawking Building, which houses more than 300,000 historic objects from the Science Museum Group Collection for conservation, study and public access. www.scienceinnovationpark.org.uk.