Thinktank

Thinktank is a science museum in Birmingham. It stands inside the Millennium Point complex on Curzon Street in the Digbeth area. The building forms part of the Eastside district, close to Aston University and the former Gun Quarter. Nearby are listed buildings such as Curzon Street railway station and The Woodman public house. The museum opened in 2001 after the city council relocated earlier science collections. The museum grew from 19th-century collections of weapons and industrial tools. In 1951 a separate Museum of Science and Industry opened, later moving to Millennium Point. Thinktank opened in 2001 with support from the Millennium Commission. A £2 million upgrade in 2005 added a planetarium. By 2007 the museum had welcomed over a million visitors. In 2012 Birmingham Museums Trust took over its management. Visitors find four floors of more than 200 hands-on exhibits. Level 0 shows The Past, Level 1 is The Balcony, Level 2 covers The Present, and Level 3 looks to The Future. The Spitfire gallery links aircraft to local production and includes a flying helmet once worn by Helen Kerly. Stationary steam engines and other machines stand alongside trams, locomotives and cars. Outside, the Eastside City Park offers open space beside the building.