The Science Museum had its origins in the Great Exhibition of 1851, some exhibits of which led to the creation of a Museum of Manufactures and, in due course, to the South Kensington Museum. This museum, which opened in 1857, covered both science and art, and it was not until 1909 that the two sections were formally separated. (The arts section went on to form the core of the Victoria and Albert Museum.) The Science Museum's present quarters, designed by Sir Richard Allison, were opened to the public in stages over the period 1919–28; from then until 1961 there were a number of extensions. The museum's Wellcome Wing (opened 2000), which contains an IMAX theatre, is devoted to contemporary and future science.

The Science Museum's displays are concerned with the presentation of science and its application to industry and everyday life, both historically and from a contemporary viewpoint. Thus, it is possible to see key engines in the development of motive power or exhibits on the great medical advances made over time (the latter drawn from the museum's extensive Wellcome collection). Petroleum refining, time measurement, the development of computing, space exploration, the extraction and distribution of natural gas, the manufacture of iron and steel, and the development of aircraft are some of the subjects interpreted through the museum's exhibits. There is also an area known as the Launch Pad, where visitors can introduce themselves to basic scientific concepts through experiments and demonstrations.

The Science Museum, The National Railway Museum, York (opened 1975), the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford (opened 1983) together constitute the National Museum of Science and Industry.