What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators? 

Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.

Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.

Book your free tickets here!

What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators? 

Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.

Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.

Book your free tickets here 

Objects found at the Whipple Museum - Mars Globe, Papier-mâché models of horses' teeth and Mini Marcel the Human Body model.

What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators? 

Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.

Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.

Garden Highlight Tours are daily at 11.30am

  • Explore the seasonal stars on a 60 minute tour with an expert Guide
  • Places are allocated on a first-come basis and numbers are limited to 12 people per Guide
  • Not recommended for children under 12 years

Bite-Sized Plant Talks at 1.30pm

Explore a remarkable range of scientific instruments used to make sense of the world, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Discover objects from astronomy, navigation, surveying, drawing and calculation, including sundials, mathematical instruments, early electrical apparatus—and even a microscope once owned by Charles Darwin.

Plus, enjoy hands-on activities in the newly refurbished Learning Gallery, perfect for little ones — or prebook a Whipple Highlights guided tour. Afterwards, take home a treat from the Whipple gift shop to remember your visit.

Explore a remarkable range of scientific instruments used to make sense of the world, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Discover objects from astronomy, navigation, surveying, drawing and calculation, including sundials, mathematical instruments, early electrical apparatus—and even a microscope once owned by Charles Darwin.

Plus, enjoy hands-on activities in the newly refurbished Learning Gallery, perfect for little ones — or prebook a Whipple Highlights guided tour. Afterwards, take home a treat from the Whipple gift shop to remember your visit.

Explore a remarkable range of scientific instruments used to make sense of the world, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Discover objects from astronomy, navigation, surveying, drawing and calculation, including sundials, mathematical instruments, early electrical apparatus—and even a microscope once owned by Charles Darwin.

Plus, enjoy hands-on activities in the newly refurbished Learning Gallery, perfect for little ones — or prebook a Whipple Highlights guided tour. Afterwards, take home a treat from the Whipple gift shop to remember your visit.

What is an orrery? Why is the clock chiming 13? Why would you collect and display a set of plaster horses’ teeth, some green spectacles and several hundred pocket calculators? 

Join us for a tour of the Whipple’s collection in 10 objects, featuring spectacular instruments, fascinating scientific stories, and links to some of Cambridge’s most famous names.

Meet at the reception point in the Main Gallery.

Book your free tickets here!  

Participants will spend time in the galleries exploring our current exhibition Artists for Kettle’s Yard, particularly focusing on how Rana Begum’s sculptural mesh work blurs the lines between painting, sculpture, and architecture.

See if you can spot the forgeries in our new exhibition, "The Art of Deception", all about making fake scientific instruments. Take the quiz, then head to the learning gallery for a chance to handle replica instruments (not fakes because we're being honest about them!). Explore illustrations used by instrument forger Lloyd Evan Williams and see if you can use them to create your own convincing designs. 

This is a drop in event, there will be a short talk about the handling objects at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm but you are welcome to arrive or leave at any time. 

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