National Science & Media Museum

Opened in 1983, the National Science and Museum in Bradford is home to world-class collections of photography, film, television and sound technologies, as well as three cinema screens.  Visitors can explore the science and culture of these innovations and their impact on our lives, as well as attend special exhibitions, events and learning activities.

Jo Quinton-Tulloch

As part of the Science Museum Group, it is one of the most visited UK museums outside London, boasting permanent galleries that uncover the history of film, TV and photography.  Highlights of the collection include the world’s first moving colour pictures, John Logie Baird’s original television apparatus, the Daily Herald photography library, and the Le Prince Single-lens Cine Camera, used to capture the first moving images.  It draws on these items and many more – as well as stories from its home city – to inspire young and old, and is proud of it close links to schools and education providers.

In 2017 the Museum opened the popular Wonderlab gallery, where visitors can be inspired by the principles of light and sound through interactive displays.  Its Pictureville cinema is home to three screens, including Europe’s first permanent IMAX and the world’s only public Cinerama screen outside the USA.

Each year the museum organises three major festivals – the Yorkshire Games Festival, Bradford Science Festival and Widescreen Weekend film festival.