Whipple Museum of the History of Science

By giving his collection of scientific instruments to Cambridge University in 1944, Robert Whipple founded the Whipple Museum of the History of Science. It is one of the eight museums of the University of Cambridge Museums consortium and provides a captivating insight into some of the instruments that have formerly been used by the university’s pioneering colleges.

What to see

The Whipple Museum's collection includes scientific instruments, apparatus, models, pictures, prints, photographs and books. You will also find, instruments of astronomy such as Herschel telescopes, navigation, surveying, drawing and a a collection of over 400 microscopes. Most artefacts date from the 17th-19th centuries and are made in England, however it does also contain objects from the medieval period to the present day.

Special collections

The museum houses a number of special collections transferred from other colleges and departments in the University of Cambridge. These include The Fitzwilliam Collection relating to the history of science, including a number of sundials and compasses, and the Francis Hookham Collection of Handheld Calculators, with more than 400 models of electronic calculators produced in the 1970s and 1980s.

Educational activities

The museum often offers educational activities and workshops for children and adults alike, from guided or self-led school sessions and family drop-ins, to adult lectures.

You may want to co-ordinate your visit to the Whipple Museum with visits to other University of Cambridge Museums and Collections such as The Fitzwilliam Museum, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Museum of Classical Archaeology.