Looking for more Christmas gift ideas? Check out Londonist's 2025 gift guide.
Some people really do seem to have just about everything.
What they WON'T have is a sample of penicillium mould discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1935. Or a 1934 Enigma Cypher Machine, used for Second World War codebreaking.
Where, you ask, can one get their hands on rare presents like that? At London's Science Museum, of course, which has just launched an Adopt an Object scheme. Six objects can be 'adopted' in all — including a 112-year-old Steiff golden mohair teddy bear, an antenna disguised as a cactus and an early version of a flushing toilet dating back to 1870. Objects can be adopted from £3 a month, for one year at a time.
While adoptees sadly can't take the object home to show off at dinner parties, they will receive a digital adoption certificate, a personalised thank you email from the Head of Collections, and twice-yearly email updates from the Science Museum. All of the above can be made out to a giftee of your choice (maybe buy them VIP tickets to a Science Museum Late too) — which might just solve a Christmas present conundrum or two this December.
All of the objects available for adoption can also be visited at the museum, while the money donated goes towards the upkeep of one of the city's finest free-entry institutions.
Best of all, this is one Christmas present with no wrapping involved.
The Science Museum's Adopt an Object scheme is now open.
