Fun, hands-on STEM activities for curious young minds and their families   The Tunnellers Club is back at the Brunel Museum this September and October with a new series of fun, practical STEM sessions for families with children aged 5–12 .  Since it first launched in 2022, the Tunnellers Club has become a popular part of the Brunel Museum’s family programme, welcoming children and their grown-ups to experiment, build, create and discover together through science, technology, engineering and maths. Inspired by the incredible engineering story of the Thames Tunnel and the Brunels, each session gives families the chance to explore STEM through playful, hands-on challenges and experiments.  Over the years, our young Tunnellers have built tunnels, experimented with density by making lava lamps, created kaleidoscopes, designed propelled boats, explored 3D modelling and LiDAR technology, worked with recycled materials, made clay creations and much more. This autumn brings a new series of STEM challenges and experiments to discover. We won’t reveal exactly what you’ll be doing each week, come along and find out! Dates: September Sunday 13 September Sunday 27 September  October Sunday 4 October Sunday 11 October Sunday 18 October Sunday 25 October  Time: 3:30pm–4:30pm  Location: Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF  Age: 5–12 years  A family activity The Tunnellers Club is designed for children and their grown-ups to take part together . This is not a drop-off activity. Each child must be accompanied by a parent, carer or responsible adult throughout the session, and grown-ups are encouraged to get involved in the experiments and challenges too! Free to attend A  £3 refundable holding fee per child  is required when booking to secure your place. The £3 will be  refunded when you attend the session . Spaces are limited to just 18 children per session , so advance booking is required. Tickets should be booked per child . Accompanying adults do not need a separate activity ticket.

Open House Festival at the Brunel Museum Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 September 2026 Free admission Visit the Brunel Museum for Open House Festival 2026 , with free guided tours throughout the weekend and a special exhibition exploring a lesser-known chapter in Marc Brunel’s story. Visitors will be able to explore the Museum, including the historic Engine House and Grand Entrance Hall, and learn more about the Thames Tunnel and the Brunels. Guided Tours Throughout the weekend, our volunteer guides will be running free 30-minute guided tours of the Museum and historic site.  Visitor slot 30-min guided tour              Independent visit  10:30–11:30                    10:45–11:15 15           min before + 15 min after  11:30–12:30                    11:45–12:15 15           min before + 15 min after  12:30–1:30                      12:45–1:15 15            min before + 15 min after  1:15–2:15                        1:30–2:00 15              min before + 15 min after  2:30–3:30                        2:45–3:15 15              min before + 15 min after Your Open House visit lasts approximately one hour , including the 30-minute guided tour, with additional time to explore the Museum, gallery and special exhibition independently. Special Exhibition: St Marcinique 1790 ±3 – Past, Present & Future This Open House weekend, visitors will also have the opportunity to see a special exhibition by Peter Jones , exploring a lesser-known chapter in the life of Marc Brunel. St Marcinique 1790 ±3 – Past, Present & Future is a metaphorical map centred around Martinique and Marc Brunel’s time on the island between approximately 1787 and 1793 . Designed as a circular timeline following the coastline of Martinique, the work explores places, events and connections beginning in the late seventeenth century and continuing through Brunel’s story to the Brunel Museum today. The map is accompanied by a specially created gazetteer , structured around the themes of Past, Present and Future . Together, the map and gazetteer invite visitors to encounter Brunel’s story through an imaginative combination of history, geography, cartography and visual storytelling . Plan your visit Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 September 2026 Free admission as part of Open House Festival One-hour visit including a 30-minute guided tour Spaces on each tour are limited, so advance booking is recommended . Find out more about the Brunel Museum’s participation in Open House Festival 2026 .

Our guides in Victorian costume will lead you on a lantern lit stroll around historic Rotherhithe, exploring its dark and grisly past. This walk is not for the faint-hearted; expect gruesome tales, a graveyard, a mortuary and a gibbet, all in close proximity to the dark and dangerous River Thames. Our spooky Halloween walk will finish underground, where we will imagine the terrors of how it was to dig, by hand, the first ever tunnel under a mighty river, where millions of gallons of water brought huge sailing ships to London. They passed just overhead, transporting exotic goods, treasures and pestilence from across the globe!   Refreshments will be available to purchase in our museum before and after the walk.  Content information: Themes of murder, violence and death, sickness and poverty.  Please note the walk route is not step-free. There will be walking and standing in the dark involving uneven surfaces and narrow pavements.

Join us at the Brunel Museum this summer for  National Playday 2026 , a free family event celebrating play, creativity, and the remarkable engineering legacy of Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Inspired by the history of the Thames Tunnel, families can enjoy a programme of hands-on activities exploring bridges, railways, tunnels, and Victorian life. Activities will take place across the Museum, including bridge-building challenges, traditional Victorian games, a garden scavenger hunt, creative construction in the historic Tunnel Shaft, and family-friendly tours telling the story of the Thames Tunnel.Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic and relax in the Museum's lower garden throughout the day. Playday is the UK's national day for play, celebrating the importance of play in children's lives and communities. Free admission | Drop-in | Booking Mandatory

Join us at the Brunel Museum with your family for a special Discovery Tree Walk. This guided walk explores the rich variety of trees in Rotherhithe and Southwark Park, from hidden green corners to well loved local landmarks. Starting and ending at the Brunel Museum, the walk will uncover stories behind the area’s trees, including the striking monkey puzzle tree and other surprising species rooted in the local landscape. Along the way, participants will discover how trees shape the history, ecology and character of this riverside neighbourhood. A relaxed and engaging walk for families, offering a chance to slow down, look closer and connect with nature in the city. Please note: Tickets include museum entry. This walk is designed for adults (ages 18+).

Join us at the Brunel Museum for Wild Things Gardening Club, a hands-on session where children can explore nature and discover the wonders of the garden.

Visit the Brunel Museum and explore the Engine House and Tunnel Shaft Go 16m underground and explore the remains of the Grade II* listed Thames Tunnel shaft. Find out why Isambard Kingdom Brunel's first engineering project was almost his last Discover why the site was once called the 'eighth wonder of the world' in our Engine House exhibition displays

How much do you know about subterranean London? Think you can ace a quiz about Tube stations, sewers, wartime bunkers, catacombs and tombs? Then come along to this unique quiz, held inside 'subterranean royalty': the shaft of Marc Brunel's Thames tunnel.    Londonist's Matt Brown has 50 questions to tantalise and tease, in London's deepest 'pub' quiz. Book as a team (max 5), or individually (and we can put you in a team on the night).  In association with Londonist: Time Machine

A special night of engineering themed stand-up comedy at the Brunel Museum!  Join Steve Cross and a lineup of London's funniest engineers, alongside comedians with hilarious things to say on the subject, for a night of laughter and learning.  Steve has run Science Showoff, where scientists make fun of their work, since 2011 and it's finally engineering's turn to be made hilarious for one night only!

Join one of our expert guides on a private tour of the Brunel Museum, where your group will have the opportunity to visit the Thames Tunnel Shaft and Engine House, including outside of normal opening hours.