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National Collections Centre

Based at the Science and Innovation Park in Swindon, Wiltshire, the National Collections Centre is currently home to over 35,000 historic objects from the Science Museum Group Collection.

Visitors to the Science Museum Library and Archive study books from the collection

In 2018, we embarked on an ambitious project to create a new, publicly accessible home for over 300,000 items from the collection at the National Collections Centre. The first of these objects began arriving at their new home in June 2021.

This purpose-built facility will transform public access to the collection when it opens regularly for public tours, school and research visits from 2024.

Construction begins on the collection management facility
Construction begins on the collection management facility

ABOUT THE NATIONAL COLLECTIONS CENTRE

The National Collections Centre is located on the former RAF Wroughton airfield.

Alongside museum storage facilities, this 545-acre multipurpose site is made up of large open areas, native woodlands, runways and one of the UK’s largest solar farms.

The National Collections Centre also hosts research and development projects in collaboration between the Science Museum Group, science, engineering and film industries and academia.

Recent examples include testing solar and wind powered mobile phone technology, TV and film-making, large-scale smart motorway technology and the ‘Hive’ research space for the built environment with the University of Bath.

If you are interested in collaborating with us, or have a business or research opportunity, please email  hirethencc@sciencemuseum.ac.uk.

SUSTAINABILITY

The National Collections Centre will also play a vital role in the Science Museum Group’s sustainability and biodiversity activities. Find out more about how we plan to sustainably care for the nation’s treasures.

Collection