Cambridge Museum of Technology — Attraction in Cambridge

A bit like the curate's egg, good in parts. Hopefully it will improve further but needs to be clearer about its purpose.

I have visited a couple of times years ago then again just recently following the "partial re-opening". My ticket will allow me to go again when fully re-opened, which is just as well, as my recent visit wasn't a great experience. The huge steam engine is certainly impressive and nicely restored but obviously feels a bit sterile when it is not running.

There is a superb scale model of the engine in a glass case in the same room. Clearly a labour of love by somebody with considerable engineering skills. However it doesn't really add a lot and would perhaps be better displayed in a teaching or lecture room rather than right beside the real thing?

A new building houses exhibits about Cambridge Instrument Company and Pye telecom. This is a modern, slightly faceless and atmosphere-less collection of equipment in glass cases. Whilst some of it was of considerable interest to me, I suspect the overall appeal is not terribly wide? OK, both companies are part of Cambridge's history but there is no direct ling to this site which was of course a pumping station.

The two staff member's I met were pleasant but had no obvious connection with the subject. One of the volunteers fairly rudely prevented me from looking through the open door of a part that is still being worked on.

The cafe / pub / venue connected to the site was closed.

Perhaps when I return later in the year for my free re-visit it will be wonderful? If that is the intention then there is a lot of...

Unbelievable local museum. It’s by no means as high tech and Spick and span as the bigger London museums, but that’s precisely what’s great about it. So many cool old items that you can interact with, and it’s got the two massive steam engine pumps still in their original location so you really get a feel for what it was like there and interact with the tools they used and the environment they worked in. Takes around an hour and a half to have a look round it all. They also host local groups there and Both times I’ve been there I’ve been lucky enough to bump into some of them to chat about what they were doing. A gang fixing their steam engine the first time and a couple doing prints in the print room the next time. Very quiet both times I’ve been, both on weekends. Beautiful setting and amazing cafe and bar just...

We were under the impression that the name "Cambridge Museum of Technology" covers a whole range of technology. In fact it is more about a small slice of (local) history with as main attraction a steam engine that was used to power the pumps for the sewage. If you keep this in mind the museum will not disappoint you and you will notice the time and effort that has gone into this small museum to make it as informative as possible. What we really liked is that it shows a history that is not really talked about nowadays and you can witness part of the hard work and the harsh conditions that people had to work in to keep the city clean. There are a couple of interactive displays present - our daughter enjoyed using the various...