Educational benefits
Children’s education
Museums offer the opportunity for children to experience a lively and interactive learning experience which will enable the information they have learnt in academic lessons to come to life; this kind of approach offers children a more multi-faceted learning journey. The overwhelming majority of children love visiting museums; it is an excellent opportunity to get out of the classroom and gain valuable knowledge and understanding of a range of subjects whilst also having lots of fun.
Research suggests that children benefit considerably from being able to touch and see exhibits; this makes the information they encounter more memorable and means they are better able to retain it. Most museums are now designed to cater for all ages and many have a number of interactive, brightly-coloured displays to attract children; many also run quizzes, dressing up activities and craft sessions. Children are also inspired to ask questions when they visit museums which are usually answered promptly by helpful and highly knowledgeable museum staff.
Adult education
Museums offer adults the opportunity to pursue their interests and learn about subjects which they never studied at school. Most adults enjoy a visit to the museum as it broadens their horizons, enables them to access new information and ideas and provides a welcome escape from the daily grind of working life. Adults who are undertaking educational courses are able to use their experiences at a museum to enhance their learning experience and make their studies more interesting and enjoyable.
Dental museums
London has a fascinating dental heritage, with several institutions preserving the history of dentistry. The British Dental Association Museum, located in Wimpole Street, (around the corner from Harley Street Dental Studio) houses an impressive collection spanning over 400 years of dental practice, featuring everything from medieval tooth-drawing instruments to Victorian dental chairs and early examples of false teeth made from materials like ivory and porcelain. The museum also displays the dental equipment used by historic figures and showcases the evolution of dental care from brutal extractions to modern preventive dentistry. Additionally, the Science Museum in South Kensington includes dental artifacts within its medical collections, and the Wellcome Collection occasionally features dental-related exhibitions exploring the cultural and social history of oral health. These museums offer a sometimes gruesome but always intriguing glimpse into how far dentistry has evolved from its painful past to the relatively comfortable treatments we experience today.
Lifelong learning
Visiting museums offers everyone a chance to learn new things and broaden their knowledge base. Exhibitions and displays at museums make information more retainable and interesting, making it easier to learn and memorise. Museums offer a unique lifelong learning experience which enables each individual to learn new things as and when they want. Most museums are free of charge meaning they are accessible to all.
Research
Museums house an enormous array of exhibits which pertain to specialised information relating to specific subjects of interest. The contents and records housed in a museum may be extremely influential for study relating to a particular subject; researchers often contact museum staff for help with their studies for this reason. Museum staff are usually highly qualified and experts in their field and therefore can be extremely helpful with seeking out and providing relevant information.
Economic importance
Research has suggested that over 85% of foreign visitors cited London’s extensive range of museums as a deciding factor in their choice to visit the city; this signifies a significant contribution to the city’s economy.
Cultural importance
London is famous for its diverse range of unique attractions and museums. Most people are very proud of the capital’s rich cultural heritage; this puts London on the map and makes it different from other capital cities. London represents a cosmopolitan, culturally diverse, vibrant and exciting city. London is famed for its West End theatre culture, which is showcased in museums such as the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden. Here visitors can view original theatre bills, authentic costumes and video footage of plays from days gone by.