The Wroughton Science Museum is ready to open to the public.

The Science and Innovation Park facility, which contains all manner of wondrous objects and artefacts will be opening to the public for guided tours later this year. 

Led by an expert tour guide through its expansive new collection space, visitors will encounter hundreds of incredible, world-changing objects in their new home at Wroughton airfield.

Visitors can discover the curious history behind objects, from a towering Glasgow tramcar built in 1901 to a toy duck which helped guide a spacecraft to land on a comet.

On top of this, they will be able to see Science Museum Group staff at work caring for the collection, hear fascinating stories about the collection and enjoy 'stunning views' in the vast facility. 

A spokesperson said: "We’re offering discounted tour tickets to local residents (those who live in SN1 to SN5 postcodes) and priority access for the tours through local social media noticeboards. 

"We want to ensure our local community is among the first to go behind-the-scenes at the Science and Innovation Park."

With the first tours taking place in October and November 2024, people are encouraged to book now to be among the first to experience this one-of-a-kind journey. 

They can do so here: https://www.scienceinnovationpark.org.uk/visit-us/public-guided-tours

(Image: Science Museum Group)

The spokesperson added: "The tours represent the culmination of a six-year programme to better care for and increase access to the Science Museum Group Collection at the Science and Innovation Park.

"Around 300,000 historic objects from the Science Museum Group Collection have been carefully moved into their new purpose-built home, enabling us to bring together these historic objects under one roof for the first time.   

"The Science and Innovation Park is now home to around 80% of objects in the Science Museum Group Collection, enabling the Group to better store, conserve, research and photograph our unique collection. "

Tours will be taking place on October 11, 23, 25 and 31 and on November 1, 8 and 15. 

They last an hour and a half and will start throughout the day at 9.45am, 10.41am, 12.45pm and 1.45pm. 

Public tours taking place in 2025 will go on sale this autumn.

Adult tickets cost £27.50 and children between 7 and 12 are free.

Tickets for children aged 13 or more, students, the unemployed and disabled, and local residents living in the SN1 to SN5 areas cost £16.50