Thinktank

Had a really good day was interesting, lots of different things to look at would deffo recommend only think I did see which I would of liked to see was the science garden but couldn’t wait was raining

ThinkTank is a great place to take the kids (and grown ups) for a day out. The full ticket prices are quite expensive, but there are often deals online. Currently you can get 2for1 tickets, if you travel by train.
Entrance is on the second floor of Millennium Point, just by the fairly new ⁶⁄₈ Kafé. On entering there is a free cloakroom that is unstaffed, so probably best to carry any valuables with you. Past this is one of the most popular exhibits with children, the kids city. The little ones seem to love this space to dress up and play in the café, hospital, and especially the water play area. If you can prise yourself away from the kids city, beyond it is a section on medicine and biology with loads of interactive exhibits. On the same floor is the natural history section, complete with much taxidermy and a real Triceratops skull.
Upstairs there are some robots (robots are cool, ’nuff said!), and a Planetarium. The planetarium is ace, kids and grown-​ups alike, love looking up at the stars. Their new system to prevent large queues for the planetarium involves booking in for a time slot at the front desk, at the cost of £1 per person.
Going downwards, there’s an atrium with manufacturing exhibits that focus on locally produced goods, and a new Spitfire exhibit, that allows one to dress up and pretend to fly a mock up of an old war plane.
The ground floor houses the large machines — a steam train, a former land speed record holding car, an old Birmingham tram, a lighthouse light etc. One of the most impressive is an early Boulton and Watt steam engine, designed for pumping water up a canal. In the museum the engine fills up a large vat that spills every eight minutes. It is the oldest working steam engine in the world.
During the Spring and Summer months they also have the outside ‘Science Garden’ open. This is a really cool playground for the kids with a focus on the physics of force and motion.
From the Science Garden one can easily wander down Eastside City park or stop off for a pint at the Woodman.
I would give ThinkTank 5 stars as I do think its great, only some of the exhibits are broken or are looking a little tired and need replacing. Given the amount of kids that go through the doors everyday, it is understandable that these hand-​on exhibits get worked hard, but it would be nice to see them replaced a little more swiftly.

ThinkTank is a slightly sprawling science museum spread over 3 (and a half) floors. It can be pricey for a family visit, but there’s a lot to do and there are often good offers available.
I’d recommend turning up early as on arrival you are given a timetable of talks, events and planetarium showings. You get a wristband on entry so you can go in and out as you please. (I recommend coffee from ⁶⁄₈ Kafe, next door, or a well priced pub lunch at the Woodman, opposite Millennium Point.)
The ground floor showcases huge bits of machinery, including car-​manufacturing robots, traction engines, a lovely tram and. A Spitfire, a Hurricane and the 1939 City of Birmingham Locomotive. A huuuge steam engine, one of the most powerful ever used.
The main theme being Birmingham made, so it’s a great Brummy experience. Just a shame you can go on any of them to explore. (Especially the Spitfire ;))
Other floors have sections on the human body (with videos of the digestive system. Best not viewed near lunch), forensic crime scene investigations, how recycling works etc. There’s a good little area called Kids City which has a doctor/​dentist surgery, a café, a garden shed, and a big water play area (with aprons). It’s really good for little ones.
Upstairs is the space section, with a great 360 degrees planetarium which has a range of shows for different age ranges.
The science garden wasn’t open when we went, but in spring and summer it’s another sciencey play area for kids. And grown ups.

Thinktank is a fantastic way to spend a day in Birmingham, especially with young children. There’s plenty to do and see, lots to interact with and a planetarium that’s absolutely stellar. It is a bit on the pricey side, but buying train tickets gets a discount and booking online prior also helps there too. Check out the new science garden — even in winter — for even more fab learning!

Thinktank is great for children, although I think an older person expecting a science museum might be a little disappointed. The price is also a little steep, you can get a 10% discount if you book tickets online 24 hours in advance. The floor that you enter (level 2) is great for younger kids; my 3 year old especially loved the water play area and the recycling exhibition. The curators clearly understand that kids love hands on stuff that they can push/​turn/​press, and there is no shortage of such stimulation. Downstairs is a token café (there is a much better one just outside the entrance, and you can come and go without problem), however there are some great things to see. In particular the steam engine and the robot for assembling cars were big hits. The upper level has a Planetarium with frequent shows, although be aware that they don’t always follow the published schedule. There is also a robot that you can program to cluck like a chicken that is cool. Totally recommend this as a day out for folks with kids in the 1 – 6 age range.

Our family really like Thinktank. There have been loads of changes to the area outside. Parking is now in a disused bit of land opposite, I guess it’s until they finish with all the development work going on around in the area. There is now what looks like a really cool outdoor play and discovery zone just to the left of the entrance. We couldn’t get to look at it properly as they were still putting the finishing touches to it when we visited.
I wouldn’t recommend paying the full entrance price. There are so many discounts available out there you would be mad to pay full whack. For example, if you travel in by train and provide a ticket, you’ll get 30% discount. We used a voucher from their own website and saved al least 20%, which for a family of four is quite a bit.
The exhibits are still pretty much the same but are standing the test of time remarkably well considering there are thousands of tiny hands touching them constantly. We still love the children’s city-​loads to get involved with and enough to entertain most ages.
I would advise that this is a wet weather visit and take a picnic. The café’s aren’t brilliant. Limited choice and quite expensive. However, on Level 2 you have the chance to sit at picnic tables and eat your own.
We easily spent the significant part of the day there and were completely shattered by the end of our visit. Now, that can’t be bad, can it.

It’s such a huge building you expect there to more stuff going on inside than there is but then part of its huge size is lost with a massive atrium. The university workshop spaces are always interesting to peek through as you check out examples of work they are making as part of their portfolios. The actual think tank, science experience of Millennium Point (commonly known as Millennium pointless) is a bit lack lustre, not instinctually navigable and no where near as fun as Leicester’s space museum. Whenever events or conferences are held here, such as a local comic con, the rooms have seemed cluttered and too small. The one good thing is the Big Screen, not an official Imax screen but fun all the same, just remember there are a lot of steep stairs to climb for it though.

The Thinktank in Birmingham is one of the most interesting and unique ways to entertain children (and adults!). Instead of suffering through Hannah Montana: The Movie #4, you can actually enjoy yourself, learn a few things you didn’t know, and watch your child be entertained literally the entire day.
Located in the space-​age cavernous Millenium Point building, the Think Tank Science Museum is state-​the-​art, ever-​changing education and entertainment for families.
For about the cost of going to the cinema with a soda (£12 for adults and £7 for children), you can see films on an amazing massive 30 foot Imax screen, check out a digital planetarium, and go back in time to the industrial age of Birmingham.
The specials on recycling and the environment, and the 360 degree dome screen of the Planetarium are amazing and not to be missed. The newest exhibit, which allows guests to shrink down to the size of a microbe and «ride» through the human body, is really astonishing.
There are always new shows, small side storytellings and treats. Thinktank may sound like it’s only for children, but they also book many corporate events — it really is fun for adults too.
There are three floors FULL of fun learning. My husband and I were completely entertained, and my stepson, whose attention is hard to keep ahold of (to put it mildly), was fascinated. We spent an entire day at the ThinkTank, got more than our money’s worth, and went home happy.

Very cool science museum that is always busy with young people. I have taken my nephew here a few times and each time he throughly enjoys it. The venue is split into 4 different levels, each level has a different era or topic and there is also an added event room which has different things throughout the year. When we went there was a «Walking with Dinosaurs» show and as my nephew loves dinosaurs he really enjoyed this part of the centre. Situated throughout Millenium Point there are cafes which are reasonably priced and adequate parking. Great family day out!

The ThinkTank is ostensibly the new science museum for Birmingham.
The old science museum had a fair number of exhibits, though they did not change much (if at all) and were woefully out of date. They did entertain button-​loving kids though, even if the education aspect one learns to also appreciate as an adult, was lacking.
The ThinkTank is much smaller and quite expensive. It’s exhibits are on top of each other and are jumbled as you made your way through the three floors. There appears to be little or no thought as to how one would navigate the exhibits with a semblance of narrative. The educational aspect of the museum is likewise inconsistent and undirected: The three kids I took (8, 13 and 14) became bored quite quickly. The exhibits did not speak to them — to much information, or too little, but typically very little context for an individual exhibit and nothing to lead you through to the next.
Sustaining oneself through this experience, there are a number of «Cafes» serving chip-​shop pasties and meet pies. The day we went, the guy who did the sandwich du jour was out having a smoke and there was no soup du jour. Lovely.
Staff were surly. Lovely Midlands customer service.
If you are from the US or some other country with archaic banking products, the ThinkTank is Chip n’ Pin exclusively. Handing staff my US swipe credit card brought confused looks and disbelieving scorn as staff looked for the chip. Bring cash!

One of the best things to happen to Thinktank has been the opening of a state of the art digital planetarium. Here you can find out what is going on in Birmingham’s night sky — if it isn’t covered by too much smog — hitch a ride on the molecules of a snowflake or shrink to the size of a microbe and take a journey through the human body. It keeps on going from strength to strength.
It is educational and fun for all ages.

Now a lot of people have probably not heard of purely millennium point on its own as being an attraction in Birmingham. In fact it is more likely that they have heard it referred to as the think tank at millennium point. Now this review is purely about the fantastic think tank which is definitely worth a visit if you are in or thinking about coming to Birmingham as it is fun for everybody and is absolutely fantastic so I will let you know why.
The address is as follows:
Think tank, Birmingham science museum
Millenium point
Curzon street
Birmingham
B4 7XG
Now it is easy to find by car as you just look for Millennium point signs around when you get into the centre and there is a big car park which is free to park in. then it is a five minute walk away from train and bus links in the city centre so you should be able to get here no matter what form of travel.
Now you walk up the stairs in millennium point and on your right you will find the think tank. You walk in and have to pay admission which was I believe around £6 a person when we visited a few months back. Then you have an option to pay £2 extra to get into the planetarium which I thought was definitely worth it.
So lets go through the things you can do in think tank.
Planetarium:
This is a fantastic planetarium and you sit with the seats back and just let your mind wander as you learn about the stars. There are several shows you can see depending on what time you want to go in there so you book a show and turn up a few minutes before to go in. The show lasted around twenty minutes which is fantastic value for money and I really enjoyed it but I do love the stars anyway. Well worth the little extra money to get in there.
Gallery — Think ahead:
This was by far my favourite gallery to visit and was all about modern medicine. They had robots you could look at and control which was fun and talked about how they do artificial limbs and there was also a heart pace monitor there with an explanation on how it works. It was fabulous and I wanted to read everything twice as I found it that interesting.
Gallery — Medicine:
Here you can learn about DNA and all sorts of medicines that are used for different things. You can watch an eye surgery and also take part in a hip replacement with your friends which was a huge amount of fun. This was a favourite gallery of mine also as I love medicine and it really opens your eyes about what can be done in the wide weird world of medicine.
Gallery — Street:
Recycling is a massive part of today and here you can play about with some machines to see how recycling works and how it affects the environment. It is fun watching how cans are crushed and how paper is recycled. Very informative and the younger children love this section as there are loads of interactive exhibits.
Galleries — Automotive:
This was a favourite of the boys in our group as you can see cars, planes, bikes and trains here and takes you on a journey of the past and present which is fascinating. There is lots to read about and it is very interesting to see how things worked back then.
Special Things:
Every now and again the think tank will have certain special things that go on. The one that I heard of on the news was a big exhibition where you could go and taste a lot of bugs which would have been fun. You will have to luck your visit to get a good exhibition when it is on.
All in all the think tank is great fun and very interesting you see a lot of things that you wouldn’t anywhere else and everybody I know has loved it there. My whole family and a lot of my friends have visited and loved it. It is definitely a good museum and being in the city centre is a perfect location for it. If you are in this area, it is definitely worth going.
Recommend to all!
Thanks for reading.
xxx
P. S. This has been posted on other sites but always by me katygriff

Think Tank is like a really modern museum. Its full of interactive things to do for people of all ages. Its over 4 floors (If I remember) and its great if you do your visit with a trip to the IMAX cinema at the same time (3D).
Its a little pricey however there are usually vouchers about and combined rail offers.
There really is alot to do with many seperate themes and areas.
It is also kept in very good condition and well maintained on a whole.

The Thinktank is always a great day out, it’s only a short distance from Birmingham city centre, easily within walking distance from New Street station (i.e. accessible by public transport). Also in it’s favour, it’s possible to buy entry tickets using Tesco Clubcard points, which makes it a cheap day out!
The exhibits inside are spread over four floors & range from basic science & recycling for younger children to more intricate biology & engineering for older visitors. The vast majority of displays are interactive in some way, some very much so, so in most instances there’s something for children to poke & prod while adults can (quickly!) read or view the displays (OK, & perhaps have a play with them too!).
Two warnings I’d make to potential visitors are: one, that the four floors are very high & the Thinktank favours a lot glass walls & partitions — anybody who isn’t good with heights, be prepared, it’s nerve wracking. Two, there’s a wet play area for children, aprons are provided but I’d advise taking a change of clothes!

This museum is amazing for children. We used our Tesco Clubcard day out tokens to get in for free, and my 3 year old loved it so much that she was begging to go back within a few months! It’s a fun day out for people of all ages — I know I learned a few things myself.
It’s very interactive and educational and there’s a lot of ‘learning through play’ which the kids love. The water play area is a huge hit, as is the play café, where children get the chance to serve their parents with the most realistic looking playfood I’ve ever come across! The gift shop is great, too. There is a café just outside the entrance, and a large seating area for picnics on the floor below.
My only complaint is that on our second visit, at the end of the school Summer holidays, several of the exhibitions were out of order. Otherwise it’s well worth a visit. I suspect we will be back soon!

Lovely place to spend the day with young and older children. It is in the same building as the IMAX and is great to combine the two for a great day out. For older the kids the Lego section is great but from memory it is an additional charge. For younger ones they have a car section and a mini café.
It is easy to spend the whole day here, a tip if you are going into Birmingham first is sometimes in the tourist information they have free kids entry vouchers in the leaflets — last used one of those about a year ago so they might not have them anymore though. Under either 3 or 4’s are free.

I went to an exhibition held here and found it hard to get around and the exhibition itself was rather simple, lacking information. It is conveniently positioned near the city centre and is bound to have something to entertain the kids with the imax theatre and exhibitions of more than one kind going on at any one time.

My daughter and i really enjoyed this and found it a fun day out, i especially liked the childrens bit with the play cafes etc and there were lots of things for my daughter to push and do all the way round

An awesome place with endless joy!
I particularly love the IMAX which just brings films to life so perfectly and if your a student then you will get a great discount.
The actual science museum can be busy at school holiday times and weekends but as it is so huge you can’t really notice it being busy.
The place is full of interesting things to do, making science fun and practical for children, so they are learning without even knowing it sometimes!
There are a few café’s located within the Thinktank and all offer the usual food and drinks you would expect and all at the prices you expect.
This place is more than worth a visit, just don’t forget the IMAX is a separate part and thus separate costs apply here.

It’s just 3 miles from juntion 6 of the M6 if you’re coming in by car, and a lot of people haven’t heard of the Millenium Point. It is pretty pricey, but you must see it once at least, they spent a lot of money doing it! A great front to the place, and when inside it’s a huge escalator up to 10 themed galleries spread over 4 floors. Might sound like a lot of walking, but there’s plenty to see, all concerning future and current advances in technology. The kids section is great, as it aims to educate whilst letting them have a grea time.
There’s a virtual cinema with regular shows included in the ticket price (IMAX 3D), if you haven’t seen enough already!
Really is a whole day out, so get there early so you can absorb it it has to offer!