Are you ready for an action-packed family adventure? Set off on an exciting journey through the world of science. Winchester Science Centre, the south of England’s leading science and discovery centre, is perfect for children from three to 12 years old and their families.
The Planetarium
Whoooosh! Come fly through the stars in the Planetarium. A massive screen is all around you to make you feel like you’re flying through space. Watch fun characters head off on exciting adventures in a subtitled film show. Or in a live show, you can listen to the space hero Inspirers telling amazing stories about the Solar System. Whatever you pick, you’ll find out fantastic space facts. Shows change throughout the year so make sure you check out what’s on when you visit.
Awesome hands-on fun
Are you ready to go on an adventure through sound? Who wants to be an astronaut? Let’s do it all with the interactive exhibits! In the Sound, Hearing and Vibration zone you can climb inside a giant ear and see how it works. Make sounds in the ginormous echo tubes. Experience the acoustics of a sonic rocket. You can even join the rescue crew to save Humphrey the Humpback Whale. Or why not head deep inside the galaxy in Explorer:Space. Learn about robots and coding. Find out about how atmospheric pressure changes when you blast into space. You can even discover more about the gravity of different planets. What are you waiting for, let’s go!
Live science
Watch as science comes to life! Be part of the audience in a free twenty-minute Science Theatre show. Delve into the mysteries of science’s most exciting topics. Learn new fascinating facts. Be wowed by amazing demos. You could be watching dancing fire or a super cool dry ice cannon. Shows change throughout the year so make sure you check out what’s on when you visit. Want to see more explosive action? The Science Live demo area is right in the middle of the exhibition floor so you won’t miss a thing. Get set to watch the Inspirers do all the experiments you definitely can’t do at home. You’ll see massive fireballs. There’ll be smoke rings floating in the sky. You might even see an exploding bubble.
Nature adventures
Get up close to nature. In Bio:Space there’s so much fun and play. It’s full of natural science activities that are inspired by the South Downs National Park. Come and meet the mysterious minibeasts. It’s an amazing place to find out about nature and how we can all keep it safe and special for everyone to enjoy.
So much more…
At Winchester Science Centre, science is for everyone. You’ll find lots to do that will make everyone’s day out fun and magical. So why wait? Book your tickets now!
Winchester Science Centre is on a mission. Science is brilliant and we want everyone to enjoy it. We’d love to show everyone how science can improve lives. If you have a health condition or impairment and would like to speak to the team about your accessibility needs, please get in touch – access@winchestersciencecentre.org.
Here’s a quick summary of our facilities. We’ve also got accessibility guides and social stories on our website.
Tickets: If you’re a visitor with a disability and you need a carer, personal assistant or essential companion to help you with access during your visit, you can bring them free of charge when you buy a ticket.
Parking: We have nine Blue Badge parking spaces near the main visitor entrance as well as more bays at the top of the main car park. They have an access route to the main entrance that’s completely flat.
Lifts and access: The Science Centre is completely open plan. Every floor has a level surface and all the exhibits have lots of space for wheelchairs and pushchairs. There are seats everywhere and a roll-on-roll-off lift that’s big enough for a wheelchair and carer/personal assistant.
Assistance dogs: Assistance dogs will get a very warm welcomes at the Science Centre. Just ask at reception if you need water or poo bags and we will be happy to supply them.
Recombobulation Room: Need some quiet space? Come to the Recombobulation Room. It’s a specially designed quiet space – a peaceful sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the Science Centre. It’s a calm, empty, space with hardly any sound and a lovely dimmable light.
Sensory backpacks and ear defenders: We have brilliant sensory support backpacks you can borrow. They come with fiddle toys, ear defenders and a social story. We also have ear defenders, available in the welcome area, Bio:Space, Science Theatre and Science Live.
Wheelchair loan: Want to borrow a wheelchair for your visit? You can book them in advance from access@winchestersciencecentre.org. They’re available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Toilets and changing: There is an accessible toilet on both floors and a special Changing Places facility on the lower floor. The Changing Places facility is open 24 hours a day through a door outside the building using a radar key.
Planetarium: Planetarium presentations are quiet and calm with low light. You can talk, move around, go in and out and ask questions if you want answers. If you use a wheelchair, there are spaces reserved just for you. The stairs are all light and bright and there are 3D printed models and tactile books. The fulldome film shows have subtitles and there’s an induction loop system too. If you need to borrow ear defenders, just ask. We even have British Sign Language days with a friendly interpreter – look out for the special dates.
Science Theatre and Science Live: These can sometimes have loud noises. We’ll tell you before we start and you can borrow ear defenders if you need to. We often have not-so-noisy shows in the Theatre. You can stay near the back so it’s easier to leave quickly. We have special British Sign Language days with a friendly interpreter. Look out for the special dates so you don’t miss them.
Cafés: The Hub Café on the upper level can be quite noisy on busy days. It’s quieter in the café on the lower floor. You’ll find lots of great snacks and drinks in there. All the tables in the lower floor café area are round – perfect if you have a wheelchair or lip read.
The centre is open weekends and Hampshire school holidays, from 9:20am to 5pm (last entry 2pm).
Winchester Science Centre is about three miles from Winchester City Centre.
Car: The Science Centre is just off a main road (Alresford Road) close to the M3. If you’re travelling here on the M3, leave at junction 10. Take the A272, then the A31 towards Alton. Follow the brown tourist signs to the Science Centre. When you turn onto the B3404 at the roundabout, the Science Centre is the first turning on your left. The car park charge is £3, which goes to their charity to help meet the cost of caring for the lovely landscape in the South Downs National Park.
Bus: The No. 64 bus runs between Winchester and Alresford and will take you within 300 metres of the Science Centre, just at the bottom of Morn Hill.
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