Free exhibitions in London

Noses at the ready! This immersive exhibition tells the story of Barking’s industrial past through the power of smell. Sewage, fish and the scent of a fizzy pop factory will all be on display for you to take a whiff at, so you can discover what the streets of the east London suburb smelt like 200 years ago. It's certainly not to be sniffed at. The smelly exhibition can be found at Valence House Museum, Dagenham. A further exhibition (which doesn’t include the smell feature) can be found outside the National Theatre until Oct 5. 

Ever wondered how a science lab manages to breed, feed and store a million fruit flies for experiments? Well, prepared to be amazed. The Crick Institute is offering up a behind-the-scenes look at the methods and people driving the latest scientific advances. And it's not just flies either, with the lid lifted on laser guides, cell growers and tech fixers too.

The iconic London landmark is set to become the backdrop of a series of projections organised by Historic England to show the building’s wartime past. A stirring combination of poetry, visuals and photography will be used to tell the stories of the St Paul’s Watch volunteers who risked their lives to protect the site during the Blitz across the three nights of projections.

The Belgravia spot will be hosting a light installation by the artist collective Squidsoup this Christmas, which will see 500 individually orbs suspended in the space for visitors to immerse themselves in. Eagle-eyed readers will recognise the group's work from their collaboration with DJ and producer Four Tet at his recent live shows, and you can expect more of the same from their free festive show at the west London hub.