Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum

The Science Garden at Thinktank
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Established	2001 (2001)
Location	Millennium Point, Birmingham, England
Type	Science and industry
Visitors	243,069 (2019)

Thinktank, Birmingham, also known as the Birmingham Science Museum, is an exciting place in Birmingham, England. It's a science museum that opened in 2001. The museum is part of the Birmingham Museums Trust. You can find it inside the Millennium Point building on Curzon Street in Digbeth. It's a fantastic spot to explore science and learn about how things work!

The Story of Thinktank

The idea for a science and industry collection in Birmingham began in the mid-1800s. It first gathered items like old weapons from the gun-making trade. In 1885, the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery opened, showing some science collections.

Later, in 1951, a special Museum of Science and Industry opened. It was located on Newhall Street. Over the years, this museum collected many cool objects. These items showed the history of local industries and how science and technology developed.

In 1995, the city decided to move the museum to a new, bigger home. This was possible thanks to help from the Millennium Commission. The old museum closed in 1997. Then, Thinktank opened its doors on September 29, 2001. It was a big part of the £114-million Millennium Point project. The city council and the Millennium Commission helped pay for it. The park next to the building is called Eastside City Park. Many items went on display at Thinktank. Other items were stored safely at the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre.

The old science museum used to be free to enter. Thinktank, however, asks for an entrance fee. In 2005, the museum got a £2 million update. This included adding a cool planetarium. By 2007, over 1 million people had visited Thinktank! In April 2012, the Birmingham Museums Trust started managing Thinktank. They also took care of eight other museum sites.

In March 2015, a new "Spitfire gallery" opened. It showed how these famous planes were made nearby. Among the new displays was a leather flying helmet. It belonged to Helen Kerly, a brave woman who flew during Second World War. She was one of only two British civilian women honored for her flying.

Amazing Collections

Thinktank has many incredible objects. They show how science and technology have changed our world.

Aircraft

Here are some of the amazing aircraft you can see:

Photo	Item	What it is
	Supermarine Spitfire Mark IXc	This Spitfire, ML 427, was built in 1944. The Air Ministry gave it to the museum in 1958. It hangs from the ceiling! About 10,000 Spitfires were made at Castle Bromwich.
	Hawker Hurricane Mark IV	This Hurricane, number KX829, was built in 1943. Hawker Aircraft Ltd made it. It was later owned by Loughborough College of Technology. They gave it to the museum in 1961. It also hangs from the ceiling.

Locomotives (Trains)

Check out these powerful trains:

Photo	Item	What it is
	46235 City of Birmingham	This is a LMS Princess Coronation Class steam locomotive. It was built in 1939. The British Railways Board gave it to the museum in 1966.
	William Murdock's model steam carriage	This is a model of a steam-powered carriage from 1784.

Trams

See this historic tram:

Photo	Item	What it is
	Birmingham Corporation Tramways tram 395	This is the only Birmingham tram that still exists today.

Cars

Discover these classic cars:

Photo	Item	What it is
	Railton Mobil Special	A famous car known for breaking speed records.
	Mercedes-Benz car	This car was made by Star Motor Company in Wolverhampton in 1898. It was given to the museum in 1965.
	Lanchester petrol-electric car	Frederick William Lanchester designed and built this car in 1926. It was given to the museum in 1961.
	Austin 7	This is an Austin 7 Tourer car from 1923. It's one of the oldest examples left.
	Morris Mini-Minor	This Mini was built in 1959. The museum bought it in 1982.

Stationary Steam Engines

Thinktank has a large collection of stationary steam engines. These are engines that stay in one place to do work. Here are some examples:

Photo	Item	What it is
	Belliss Steam Generator	This engine is from 1891. Belliss & Morcom Ltd gave it to the museum in 1982.
	Crossley Vertical Atmospheric Gas Engine	This engine is from 1873. It was given to the museum in 1976.
	Galloway Uniflow Engine	This engine is from 1924. Hovis Ltd gave it to the museum in 1956.
	Corliss Mill engine	This large steam engine was made by Pollitt & Wigzell. It used to be at the University of Manchester.
	Easton & Amos pumping engine	This engine was used from 1894 until the 1950s. It pumped coal gas in London.
	Murray's Hypocycloidal Engine	Made around 1802, this is one of the oldest working engines in the world. N. Hingley & Sons Ltd gave it to the museum in 1961.
	Smethwick Engine	This is the oldest working engine in the world! James Watt designed and built it in 1779. It was used until 1891. The Birmingham Canal Company donated it in 1959. It runs on steam several days a year. You can see its water-lifting feature demonstrated daily.
	Steam Pumping Engine 'Rollit'	This engine was built in 1883 by James Watt & Co. It was given to the museum in 1958.

Other Cool Machines

Here are a couple more interesting machines:

	Woolrich generator	This was the world's first heavy electrical machine.
	Button shank making machine	This was one of the first machines made to create a specific product. Ralph Heaton designed it in 1794. It could make almost 750,000 button shanks a day in 1851!

Fun Displays and Galleries

Thinktank has four floors packed with over 200 hands-on exhibits. These are things you can touch and interact with! Each floor used to have a theme, going from the past to the future.

Photo	Level	Gallery	What you can explore
	0: The Past	Boulton and Watt (This area is now closed)	This display showed objects linked to famous inventors like James Watt and Matthew Boulton.
	0: The Past	Move It	See vehicles made or used around Birmingham. This includes bikes, cars, trams, trains, and planes. You can even watch robots show how cars are spot-welded together.
	0: The Past	Power Up	This gallery features the museum's amazing steam engine collection. Learn about the history of Boulton and Watt and how they made their engines. Other steam engines here were used for pumping sewage, making electricity, and farm work.
	1: The Balcony	We Made It	This gallery has over 20 interactive exhibits and 1200 objects. It shows Birmingham's history as "the workshop of the world." You can see how everyday items are made from raw materials. It has sections on metal goods, precious items, glass, and modern gadgets.
	1: The Balcony	Spitfire Gallery (This area is now closed)	This gallery focused on the history of the Spitfire plane. It showed how they were made at Castle Bromwich. You could see engine parts and flight suits. There were also hands-on exhibits, like a model of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
	2: The Present	Things About Me	This exhibition is perfect for younger children. It helps them understand how their own body works. It's a bright and lively gallery. Small characters called TAMs guide you through the museum.
	2: The Present	Wild Life	This gallery is like a living history book of animals. It has insects, birds, and mammals. You can also see amazing fossils. Look for a polar bear, a great auk, and a Triceratops skull!
	2: The Present	The Street	The Street shows how science affects your daily life. It explains how objects you see around you work. There's even a Recycling Plant display.
	2: The Present	Kids' City (This area is now closed)	Kids' City was designed for small children, aged 7 and under. It was more of a play area. It had a garden with water, a health center, and an animation studio with Shaun the Sheep.
	2: The Present	Medicine Matters	Medicine Matters explores modern medicine and new discoveries. It covers topics like DNA, genetics, and how vaccines work. You can also learn about personal health.
	3: The Future	Futures	The Futures gallery looks at how science, technology, and medicine impact us now and in the future. It has interactive screens and a "Talking Point" area. You can even "Create an Alien" or program a RoboThespian robot!
	Outdoor	Science Garden	The Science Garden is an outdoor space with over 30 interactive exhibits. It also has an outdoor classroom for shows and school visits. It's right in front of Thinktank and is part of Eastside City Park.
	3: ---	Planetarium	The Thinktank Planetarium opened on December 17, 2005. It was Birmingham's first planetarium. It was also the UK's first specially built digital planetarium. It has 70 seats, and the dome is 10 meters (about 33 feet) wide. It uses advanced projectors to create a huge, clear image. In its first year, 60,000 people visited it. The planetarium shows you stars as they appear from Earth at any time. It can also simulate travel to other stars. It can fill the dome with 360-degree sound and video. This means it can show films about space, the night sky, the human body, and even undersea exploration. It also hosts music and light shows. You can spot the Planetarium if you look closely in the Minibrum Area.

What's Around Thinktank

The museum shares the Millennium Point building with Birmingham City University. It is located in the Eastside area of the city. Nearby are Aston University and the Gun Quarter. The Gun Quarter was once a very important place for making guns around the world. Right across from the museum, you can see The Woodman, a historic pub, and the old Curzon Street railway station. Both of these are important historical buildings.