Museums Directory

Following is a list of historical museums of science and/or technology, limited to those that make a special point of being accessible to scholars. Their facilities vary widely, but in general they have significant documented collections and knowledgable curators. Details are generally available on their websites, yet often difficult to find. For this reason, for each museum we have provided a "Comments" link for help in finding "Research Resources." In most instances these comments have been made after a dutiful survey of the museum's website. More information will be gratefully received, and posted, from the museums or from knowledgeble visitors.

A second link is in the process of being developed for exhibits that are notable for exceptionally good use of objects in support of their arguments. If you would like to nominate an exhibit, more information is available here. An example of what we have in mind can be seen in the entry for the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum below.

An attempt has been made to classify the museums by type--which is not always easy--and this is indicated in [square brackets]. A separate listing has been made according to these types.

Although considerable effort has gone into this compilation, there are bound to be errors of inclusion and exclusion. Additions, corrections and comments are welcome; they are very important if it is to be truly useful.

There are many remarkable musems that are not in this directory. The excluson is because they did not seem to fit our requirement of having significant research facilities. We are happy to be proven wrong and welcome further nominations. For convenience, a survey has been made of other compilations, and links to what seem to be the most valuable lists are included under our directory by type.

You are urged to contribute to this effort by writing to Bernard Finn at finnb@si.edu.

Directory of Museums of Science/Technology with Historical Collections (by Country)

Argentina

Museum of Medicine and Surgery History Vicente Aníbal Risolía, Facultad de Medicina U de BA 2155 Paraguay Street 15th floor,Buenos Aires, 1114, Argentina, www.fmed.uba.ar//museos/risolia/maini.htm [Medicine, University]
Comments: Research Resources

Australia

Australian National Maritime Museum, 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, NSW, 2000, Australia, www.anmm.gov.au [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Macleay Museum, University of Sydney; Gosper Lane; Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia, http://sydney.edu.au/museums/collections/macleay.shtml [University, Instruments]
Comments: Research Resources

Museum Victoria (Melbourne Museum), 11 Nicholson St, Melbourne, VIC, 3053, http://museumvictoria.com.au [General]
Comments: Research Resources

National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent Acton Peninsula (GPO Box 1901), Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia, www.nma.gov.au/exhibitions/index.html [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Powerhouse Museum, PO Box K346, Haymarket, NSW, 1238, Australia, https://maas.museum/powerhouse-museum/ [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Western Australian Museum—Maritime, Victoria Quay, Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia, http://museum.wa.gov.au/museums/wa-maritime-museum [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Austria

Technisches Museum, Mariahilferstrasse 212, Vienna, A-1140, Austria, www.tmw.at [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Belgium

Musée des Instruments de Musique, Montagne de la Cour 2, Brussels, 1000, Belgium, www.mim.be/museum [Music]
Comments: Research Resources

Musée Royal de l’Armée et d’Histoire Militaire, Parc du Cinquantenaire 3, Brussels, 1000, Belgium, www.klm-mra.be [Military]
Comments: Research Resource

Bermuda

Bermuda Maritime Museum, Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda, www.bmm.bm [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Bulgaria

National Museum of Military History, 92 Cherkovna str., Sofia, 1505, Bulgaria, www.militarymuseum.bg [Military]
Comments: Research Resources

Canada

Canada Aviation and Space Museum, 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, ON, K1K 4R3, Canada, www.aviation.technomuses.ca [Air, Space]
Comments: Research Resources

Canada Science and Technology Museum, 1867 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, ON, K1G 5A3, Canada, www.sciencetech.technomuses.ca [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston, 55 Ontario Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 2Y2, Canada, www.marmuseum.ca [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water Street, Halifax, NS, B3J 1S3, Canada, https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Musée Ferroviaire Canadiene, 110 rue Saint-Pirre, Saint-Constant, QC, J5A 1G7, Canada, www.exporail.org [Rail]
Comments: Research Resources

Museum of Health Care, 32 George Street, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 2V7, Canada www.museumofhealthcare.ca/ [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

Nova Scotia Museum of Industry, 147 North Foord St, Stellerton, NS, BOK 1SO, Canada, https://museumofindustry.novascotia.ca [Industry]
Comments: Research Resources

University of Toronto Museum of Scientific Instruments, Room 316 Victoria College 91 Charles Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S 1K7, Canada, https://utsic.escalator.utoronto.ca/home/ [University]. Instruments]
Comments: Research Resources

York University Computer Museum, Dept of Computer Science and Engineering; York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada, www.cse.yorku.ca/museum/ [Computers, University]
Comments: Research Resources

Chile

Museo Maritimo Nacional, Paseo 21 de Mayo No. 45; Cerro Artilera, Valparaiso, Chile, http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/valparaiso/museo-maritimo-nacional.htm
Comments: Research Resources

China

Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Central Ferry Pier No. 8, Hong Kong, China, www.hkmaritimemuseum.org [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Palace Museum; Scientific Instrument and Clock Hall, 4 Dongcheng, Beijing, China
http://en.dpm.org.cn/[Instruments, Clocks]
Comments: Research Resources

Czech Republic

Narodni Technicke Muzeum, Kostelni 42, Praha, 17078, Czech Republic, http://www.ntm.cz/en [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Voyenský Historický Ústav (Military Historical Institute), Prague, Czech Republic, http://www.vhu.cz/english-summary/ [Military]

Denmark

Danish Maritime Museum, Kronborg Castle, Elsinore, Denmark, http://mfs.dk/en/ [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Danmarks Jernbanemuseet (Denmark Railway Museum), Solvgade 40, København, K, 1349, Denmark, www.jernbanemuseet.dk [Rail]
Comments: Research Resources

Danmarks Tekniske Museum, 0le Romers Vej, Helsingor, 3000, Denmark, www.tekniskmuseum.dk [General]

Medicinsk Museion Københavns Universitet, Bredgade 62, København, K, DK-1260, Denmark, www.museion.ku.dk [Medicine, University]
Comments: Research Resources

France

Musée de l’Armée / Musée National d’Armes et d’Histoire Militaire, Hôtel national des Invalides 129 rue de Grenelle, Paris, 75007, France, www.musee-armee.fr/ [Military]

Musée des Arts et Métiers, 292 Rue Saint Martin, Paris, 75003, France, www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee. [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Germany

Bayerisches Armeemuseum Ingolstadt, Neues Schloss Paradeplatz 4, Ingolstadt, 85049, Germany, www.bayerisches-armeemuseum.de [Military]
Comments:

Das Deutsches Uhrenmuseum, Robert-Gerwig-Platz 1, Furtwangen, 78120, Germany, www.deutsches-uhrenmuseum.de [Clocks]
Comments: Research Resources

Deutsche Bahn Museum, Lessingstraße 6, Nürnberg, 90443, Germany, www.dbmuseum.de [Rail]

Deutsches Hygiene Museum, Lingnerpl 1, Dresden, 1069, Germany, www.dhmd.de [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

Deutsches Medizin-Historisches Museum, Anatomiestr 18/20, Ingolstadt, 85049, Germany, www.dmm-ingolstadt.de [Medicine]

Deutsches Museum von Meisterwerken der Naturwissenschaft und Technik, Museumsinsel 1, München, 80538, Germany, www.deutsches-museum.de [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Deutsches Teknikmuseum, Trebbiner Straße 9, Berlin-Kreuzberg, 10963, Germany, www.sdtb.de/Home.623.0.html [General]

Ernst-Haeckel Haus, Universität Jena; Berggasse 7, Jena, 7745, Germany, www.ehh.uni-jena.de/Museum.html [Biography, Site]

Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, Zwinger; Theaterplatz 1, Dresden, 01067, Germany, https://mathematisch-physikalischer-salon.skd.museum/ [Instruments]

Militärhistorisches Museum, Olbrichtplatz 2, Dresden, 1099, Germany, www.mgfa.de/html/museen_dresden_2005.php [Military]

Museum für Musikinstrumente der Universität Leipzig, Johannisplatz 5-11, Leipzig, 4103, Germany, http://mfm.uni-leipzig.de/dt/index.php [Music]
Comments: Research Resources

Musikinstrumenten-Museum, Tiergartenstrasse 1 (enter Ben Gurian Strasse, Berlin, 10785, Germany, www.sim.spk-berlin.de/mim_3.html [Music]

Otto-Lilienthal-Museum, Ellbogenstraße 1, Anklam, 17389, Germany, www.lilienthal-museum.de/olma/intro.htm [Air]
Comments: Research Resources


Hungary

National Museum for Science and Technology, Kaposvar u.13-15, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary [General]
http://www.museum.hu/museum/64/Hungarian_Museum_for_Science_Technology_and_Transport_-_Technological_Study_Store
Comments: Research Resources

Semmelweis Orvostoerteneti Muzeum (Archive for the History of Medicine), Koenyvtar es Leveltar; Aprod u 1-3, Budapest, H-1013, Hungary, www.semmelweis.museum.hu [Medicine, Biography]

Italy

Museo di Storia della Scienza e della Tecnica Leonardo da Vinci, Via S. Vittore 21, Milan, 20123, Italy, www.museoscienza.org [General]
Comments: Research Resources


Museo di Strumenti Musicali dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Parco della Musica; vialle de Coubertin, Rome, 196, Italy, http://museo.santacecilia.it/museo/ [Music]
Comments: Research Resources

Museo Galileo (Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza), Piazza dei Giudici 1, Florence, 50122, Italy, www.museogalileo.it/en [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Universita di Roma 'La Sapienza' Museo di Storia della Medicina, Facolta di Medicina e Chirurgia; Viale dell'Universita 34A, Rome, 1-00185, Italy, www.histmed.it [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

Japan

National Museum of Nature and Science, 7-20 Ueno Park; Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-8718, Japan, www.kahaku.go.jp/english [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Macau

Museu Maritimo, 1 Largo do Pagode da Barra, Macau, www.museumaritimo.gov.mo/index_e.html [Maritime]

Netherlands

Museum Boerhaave, Lange St Agnietenstr 10, Leiden, NL-2312 WC, Netherlands, www.museumboerhaave.nl [General]

Teylers Museum, Spaame 16, Haarlem, 2011, Netherlands, www.teylersmuseum.nl  [Instruments, Site]
Comments: Research Resources

Norway

Norsk Teknisk Museum, Kjelsasvn, Oslo, 491, Norway, www.tekniskmuseum.no [General]
Comment: Research Resources

Serbia

Military Museum, Kalemegdan bb, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia, www.muzej.mod.gov.rs/en [Military]
Comments: Research Resources

Museum of Science & Technology, Skender-begova 51, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia, www.muzejnt.rs [General]

Tesla Museum, Krunska 51, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia, http://www.nikolateslamuseum.org/web/index.php?l=en [Biography]
Comments: Research Resources

South Africa

Adler Museum of the History of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand; POB 1038, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa, https://www.wits.ac.za/health/adlermuseum/ [Medicine]

Spain

Fundacio-Museu d'Historia de la Medicina deCatalunya, Passeig del Comte d’Egara, 22, Terrassa, 8221, Spain, www.museudelamedicina.cat [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

Museo de la Cienca i de la Tecnica de Catalunya, Rambla d´Ègara 270, Terrassa, 8221, Spain, www.mnactec.cat [General]

Museo del ferrocarril, Pº. de las Delicias 61, Madrid, 28045, Spain, www.museodelferrocarril.org [Rail]

Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Paseo de las Delicias 61, Madrid, 28045, Spain, www.muncyt.es [General]

Museo Naval, Kaiko pasealekua 24 , Donostia (Gipuzkoa), 20003, Spain, www.untzimuseoa.net [Naval]
Comments: Research Resources

Sweden

Nobelmuseet, Stortorget 2, Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden, http://www.nobelmuseum.se [history of science]
Comments: Research Resources

Observatoriemuseet, Drottninggaten 120, Stockholm, 113 60, Sweden, http://www.observatoriet.kva.se [Astronomy, Site]

Sjohistoriska Museet, Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen 24, Stockholm, 102 52, Sweden, www.sjohistoriska.se/en [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Tekniska Museet, Museivägen 7, Stockholm, 115 93, Sweden, www.tekniskamuseet.se [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Vasamuseet, Galärvarvsvägen 14; Djurgården, Stockholm, 102 52, Sweden, www.vasamuseet.se [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Switzerland

Museum of History of Science, Ministry of Art and History, Geneva, Switzerland, www.ville-ge.ch/mhs [Instruments]
Comments: Research Resources

United Kingdom

Blists Hill Open Air Museum lronbridge Gorge Museum, Telford, Shropshire, TF8 7AW, UK, www.ironbridge.org.uk [Iron, Site]

Cambridge Museum of Technology, Cambridge, UK, www.museumoftechnology.com/index.html [General]

Dundee University Museum Collections, Dundee, Scotland, UK, www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/ [University]
Comments: Research Resources

Hunterian Museum, University Avenue; University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Strathclyde, G 12 800, UK, www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian [University, Instruments]
Comments: Research Resources

Imperial War Museum, London, UK, www.iwm.org.uk [Military]
Comments: Research Resources

Kelham Island Museum, Alma Street, Sheffield, S3 8RY, UK, www.simt.co.uk/kelham-island-museum/plan-your-visit [Industry]
Comments: Research Resources

Museum of the History of Science, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AZ, UK, www.mhs.ox.ac.uk [General]
Comments: Research Resources

National Army Museum, London, UK, https://www.nam.ac.uk [Military]
Comments: Research Resources

National Maritime Museum, Romney Rd, Greenwich, UK, www.rmg.co.uk [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

National Media Museum, Bradford, UK, www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk [Photography, Motion Pictures, Television]
Comments: Research Resources

National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, www.nms.ac.uk [General]
Comments: Research Resources

National Railway Museum, York, UK, www.nrm.org.uk [Rail, Site]
Comments: Research Resources

National Slate Museum: Wales, Llanberis, Gwynedd, Wales, LL55 4TY, UK, www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/slate/ [Industry, Slate, Site]
Comments: Research Resources

National Waterfront Museum: Wales, Oystermouth Road; Maritime Quarter, Swansea, Wales, SA1 3RD, UK, www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/swansea/about/ [Maritime, Industry]
Comments: Research Resources

National Wool Museum: Wales, Dre-Fach Felindre; Llandysul, Carmarthenshire, Wales, SA44 5UP, UK, www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/wool/ [Industry, Wool]
Comments: Research Resources

Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret, St Thomas's Church; 9A St Thomas's Street, London, SE1 9RT, UK, www.thegarret.org.uk [Medicine, Site]

Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Eastern House, Porthcurno; Penzance, Cornwall, TR19 6JX, UK, www.porthcurno.org.uk [Telegraph, Site]
Comments: Research Resources

Royal Academy of Music Museum, Marlebone Road, London, NW1 5HT, UK, www.ram.ac.uk/museum [Music]
Comments: Research Resources

Royal Armouries; Fort Nelson, Portsdown Hill Rd, Fareham, PO17 6AN, UK, www.royalarmouries.org/visit-us/fort-nelson [Military]
Comments: Research Resources

Royal Armouries; Leeds, Leeds, UK, www.royalarmouries.org/visit-us/leeds [Military]
Comments: Reserch Resources

Royal Armouries; Tower of London, London, UK, www.royalarmouries.org/visit-us/tower-of-london [Military]
Comments: Research Resources

Royal Naval Museum; Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Victory Gate HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, PO1 3LJ, UK, www.nmrn-portsmouth.org.uk [Naval]
Comments: Research Resources

Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, 1 Lambeth High Street, London, SE1 7 JN, UK, www.rpharms.com/about-pharmacy/our-museum.asp [Pharmaceutical]

Science Museum, Exhibition Road; South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD, UK, www.nmsi.ac.uk [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine, Scotland, UK, www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum, St Bartholomew's Hospital; West Smithfield, London, EC1A 7BE, UK, https://bartshealth.nhs.uk/st-bartholomews-museum-and-archives [Medicine]

Thackray Medical Museum, 131 Beckett Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS9M 7LP, UK, http://www.thackraymedicalmuseum.co.uk/ [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 183 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2BE, UK, www.wellcomecollection.org [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Free School Lane, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3RH, UK, www.hps.cam.ac.uk/whipple [University, Instruments]
Comments: Research Resources

United States

Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL, US, www.adlerplanetarium.org [Astronomy]

Antique Wireless Association Electronic-Communication Museum, Bloomfield, NY, US, www.antiquewireless.org [Radio]

B&O Railroad Museum, 901 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD, 21223, US, www.borail.org [Rail, Site]
Comments: Research Resources

Bakken Library and Museum, Minneapolis, NY, US, www.thebakken.org[Electricity]
Comments: Research Resources

Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD, 21230, US, www.thebmi.org [Industry]
Comments: Research Resources

California State Railroad Museum, 125 I Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814, US, www.csrmf.org [Rail]
Comments: Research Resources

Columbia River Maritime Museum, 1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, OR, 97103, US, www.crmm.org [Maritime]

Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, CA, 94043, US, www.computerhistory.org [Computer]
Comments: Research Resources

Dittrick Museum of Medical History, 11000 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, US, www.case.edu/artsci/dittrick/museum [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

Dr. Samuel D.Harris National Museum of Dentistry, 21 South Greene St., Baltimore, MD, 21201, US, www.historyofdentistry.org/museum/ [Dental]

Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Fort Myers, FL, US, www.efwefla.org [Biography, Site]
Comments: Research Resources

Edison National Historic Site, West Orange, NJ, US, www.nps.gov/edis [Biography, Site]

Harvard University Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Cambridge, MA, US, http://chsi.harvard.edu/ [University, Instruments]
Comments: Research Resources

Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, MI, US, https://www.thehenryford.org/ [General]
Comments: Research Resources

Independence Seaport Museum, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, US, www.phillyseaport.org [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington Street, Bath, ME, 4530, US, www.mainemaritimemuseum.org [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Mariners' Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA, 23606, US, www.marinersmuseum.org [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

MIT Museum, Cambridge, MA, US, http://mitmuseum.mit.edu/ [University]
Comments: Research Resources

Museum of Flight, 9404 East Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98108 (www.museumofflight.org) [Air]
Comments: Research Resources

Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, NY, US, www.movingimage.us [Motion Pictures, Television]
Comments: Research Resources

Mystic Seaport, 75 Greenmanville Avenue 06355, Mystic, CT, 6355, US, www.mysticseaport.org [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, DC, US, www.airandspace.si.edu [Air, Space]
Comments: Research Resources; Exhibits

National Electronics Museum, Baltimore, MD, US, www.nationalelectronicsmuseum.org [Electronics, Radar]
Comments: Research Resources

National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, MD, 20560, US, www.americanhistory.si.edu [General]
Comments: Research Resources

National Museum of the US Air Force, 1100 Spaatz St, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, 45433, US, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil [Air]

Natonal Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 East Patrick Street, Frederick, MD, 21705, US, www.civilwarmed.org [Medicine]
Comments: Research Resources

New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johhny Cake Hill, New Bedford, MA, 2740, US, www.whalingmuseum.org/ [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

San Diego Air & Space Museum, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, 92101, www.sandiegoairandspace.org [Air, Space]
Comments: Research Resources

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, 499 Jefferson Street, San Francisco, CA, 94109, US, www.nps.gov/safr/index.htm [Maritime]
Comments: Research Resources

Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, US, https://www.sciencehistory.org/  [Chemistry, Life Sciences]
Comments: Research Resources

South Carolina Museum, Columbia, SC, 24503, US, http://scmuseum.org/ [General]

Western Reserve Historical Society, 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, 4106, US, www.wrhs.org  [Automobiles, Air]
Comments: Research Resources