Compete with robotic archers, hike the forests of Yunnan and experience drifting snow in 4-D at one of China’s most interactive and popular museums.
The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is housed in an expansive and futuristic glass structure near Century Park. Hands-on and immersive, the museum features over a dozen exhibition halls and four cinemas that have thousands of screenings each year. The museum’s collection covers topics ranging from natural history to information technology. Its kinetic and child-friendly exhibits make it a popular destination for families.
The museum is arranged around a basement and four floors that rise in a spiral representing scientific progress. The building also contains an enormous glass sphere in a pool of clear water. This symbolises the renewal of life.
Many of the exhibition halls offer interactive experiences. Journey to the centre of our planet in Earth Exploration, then experience flash floods and avalanches in the Ecological Disaster Theatre. Discover the principles of science in the 100 interactive stations within the Light of Wisdom section. Create your own video in Cradle of Design, and let the kids loose at the walk-in brain and heart of Children’s Technoland. One of the most popular sections is World of Robots, where visitors can marvel at robots playing the piano, painting portraits and solving the Rubik’s Cube.
The museum features four different cinemas: the IMAX 3D Theatre, the IMAX Dome Theatre, Iwerks 4D Theatre and the Space Theatre. See science-themed films on a screen that surrounds you in the IMAX Dome. Inside the Iwerks 4D Theatre you will be immersed in special effects, such as drifting snow and blowing wind.
The Shanghai Science and Technology Museum has a small admission fee, with a discounted price for children. The centre is closed on Mondays, and the quietest time to visit is weekday afternoons after the school groups have departed.
The museum is located in Century Avenue near Century Park, Shanghai’s largest green space. You can get there by bus or subway. The nearest station is Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.
