London is filled with fantastic things to do and see, and much more than the classic things you hear about. Assuming you’ll already check out places like Tower Bridge, London Tower, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, read on to discover all things geek in one of the most renowned cities on the planet. Find a nearby cheap London hotel and visit these top geek spots!
First and foremost, head over to The Science Museum. This is pretty much as geek as it gets. Whether you visit the Science Museum to see how inventions of the past that have shaped the world today or whether you’re there to scope out the future (perhaps in an IMAX show!) The Science Museum has something for every type of person. To skip the crowds, look out for “Late” nights where adults can enter free in the evenings.
Another superb London spot is The Wellcome Collection. This is one of the premiere collections of everything having to do with medical art and history. The collections will have you interested for hours. If you are visiting for the summer of 2012 don’t forget to check out the ‘Superhuman’ exhibit that explores the most extraordinary ways in which people have sought to improve and enhance their body’s performance with visual representations through books, videos, comics and artefacts. You’ll find it comes recommended in the Geek Travel Map by one of the world’s biggest Geeks, Mr. Stephen Fry!
One such London hotspot on every Science whizz’s list should be the Royal Institution on Albemarle Street. This place is renowned for a few reasons, not least among them being that it is the location of the discovery of 10 chemical elements. Any geek with an interest in science and technology will not want to miss this. You can also expect to find events going on, and the basement museum can explain why 14 Nobel Prizes were won from people working out of this building. There is also a lovely little café/bar in the building where a Bi-monthly science quiz takes place.
Move onward on the tour of geeky spots in London, you’ll come to the Grant Museum of Zoology. This is for all you animal lovers out there who can’t let something as attractive as a museum housing some 60,000 specimens representing all animals kingdoms living and extinct pass you by. Its operating hours (Mon – Fri – 9am -5pm) isn’t the same as its bigger cousins, but it shares in the joy of being free to enter, don’t forget to check out their ‘Silly Season’ showcasing an eclectic mix of unusual events.
If you get the inkling to head a bit further away from the City of London, make sure to go east. There, you’ll find the Thames Barrier, a shiny complex of sail-shaped flood barriers that protect the city from that kind of catastrophe. Just across the Channel you will find the huge engineering masterpieces of the Netherlands, but the Thames Barrier is a great place to hang out, if your time doesn’t permit you a jaunt over to the country.
Are there any gamers out there? Well, if you are, and you find yourself in London, then you must make room for a visit to Gamerbase. You’ll find it at the bottom of the Trocadero center in the basement of HMW. This gaming area is one of the most up-to-date and technologically advanced on the planet. It’s like an internet café on speed, and the atmosphere is decidedly gaming, with over 60 gaming-enhanced computers for any and all to play on.
If you haven’t tired yourself out. There are still so many great geek spots to visit throughout the city.
Photo Credits: Science Museum by Feesta/ Thames Barrier by Damian Moore
