"This is the Royal Institution, where science meets the world. At the RI you can explore two centuries of great scientific breakthroughs, and discover the newest big ideas about our universe and everything in it. We're a museum, an events space, a place to eat and drink, and much more."
The RI has undergone extensive renovation so that by the end of 2008 there are many more visitor facilities and public events. One can still join as a Member of the Royal Institution but they seem to have made a big effort to become accessible to the general public. This is great news as there is now a haven of tranquillity in the heart of London's very busy shopping and tourist areas.
I have written an article on the Royal Institution you may wish to read.
The Royal Institution now includes an extensive museum on three floors, including the original Faraday laboratory from the 1850's, a brand new bar and restaurant, Time & Space, and a working laboratory specializing in nanotechnology. Their many events include their traditional Friday Evening Discourses, the less formal Talking Points, Saturday Family Fun Days and their famous Christmas Lectures. Their Mathematics Masterclasses have also expanded to be a nationwide network for children showing an aptitude for mathematics.
I actually attended the Masterclasses as a child and years later was a teaching assistant at some of them. Is a great experience for a kid to be immersed in such a grandiose building, with an extensive library and the sheer smell of intellectual history. Children wishing to attend must ask their school - best to approach your maths teacher - to submit a request as one cannot apply directly. The courses are a good way to see a small part of what mathematics can be like at higher levels as the focus is on branches of mathematics that are not in the normal curriculum.
The Royal Institution is also home to the Science Media Centre.
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