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Comment by KGIII | Hacker News Reader

I did some work in the UK and was staying in London, not far from the bit they call the City if London (I think they said it was just like a square mile, or similar.)

Anyhow, one of the people I was there to work with brought me over to Bletchley Park and to the museum. It was easy to spend the full day there between the two.

So, even if you don't live there, I recommend visiting even if you're more than an hour away. I seem to recall the drive taking about an hour and a half, though my memory may be fuzzy. I was there in 2007 and I think they'd just recently opened.

If I'm back in the area, I'll be sure to visit again.

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There's a train out of London Euston that will get you there in ~ 30 minutes.

I'll have to try to remember that when I am back in the UK. I was in the other guy's car and the trip was their idea. They wanted to see the computer museum as it had just opened recently, at least that is how my memory indicates the order of events.

Either way, it's well worth visiting. Given that it had just opened, and now been more than a decade, I suspect they have all sorts of additional displays these days. So, when I'm next in the general area, I will make it a point to visit again.

Tangentially related: I also highly recommend the Natural History Museum. I really enjoyed that. Though, I'd recommend setting aside a couple of days for that one.

The Natural History is great, but can be horribly full during school holidays. But if you cant get in just around the corner is the Science Museum which is also excellent.

Especially relevant for this audience is its Information Age gallery which covers "6 networks that changed the world", telegraph, broadcast radio and tv, telephony, satellite (including GPS), the web, and cell phone networks.

Best of all both museums are free to get in (donations welcome).

Oh, yes! I should have mentioned how much I enjoyed the Science Museum. I don't usually do a lot of touristy things, but I do love going to museums. The Science Museum was excellent.

I also enjoyed the Brittish Museum, London Museum of Steam and Water (I think that was the name), the Museum of London, and Clink Prison Museum, though that was kind of small.

I also did a police museum but I can't remember the name of it.

London has some great museums and a fairly long history, so I highly recommend anybody visiting make it a point to visit at least a few of them. They were also inexpensive to visit, as I recall. I think some of them only required a donation? I am not entirely sure, it has been quite a while since I have been back. I've only had one post-retirement visit.

Hmm... I should go back. Maybe I'll go over the winter.

The Museum of the History of Science in Oxford is also very, very good if you like scientific artifacts. Not quite as overwhelming as the Science Museum, and the building itself has history- the basement was probably an alchemical laboratory however many years ago.

Duly noted, thanks. That is one that I haven't been to.

I was just talking with the missus and she's never been to the UK so we are tentatively looking to go over the coming winter, probably after the new year.

I will put that one on my list of 'must do stuff.' I've seen the museum pop up in documentaries and have just taken a peek online. It looks like it will be a good time.

Seriously, thanks. I love the UK and museums. Being reminded of another one is a good thing. I'd forgotten all about that one.

It's too bad that I can't time it to do one of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. I have wanted to do one of those, in person, for a very long time. Fortunately, I'll be able to watch them.

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