Description: The Glasgow Science Centre is an incredible titanium and glass building at Pacific Quay on the bank of the river Clyde just across the river from the SECC. It opened in 2001 and houses the science mall, the Scottish Power planetarium and an Imax cinema. It is a place to visit which makes a brilliant day out for families.
The science centre is set over four levels, the ground floor does not have much going on just a few exhibitions and the café. The café isn’t great to be honest, a bit overpriced and very busy so last time we took a packed lunch and went out to the car and ate it. Make sure you visit the toilets on this floor, the sinks have been designed by artists and washing your hands has never been so much fun!
The first floor has a lot of attractions for younger kids including a piano they play with their feet, giant sized board games like chess and connect 4 and fish in a tank which plays music every time the fish pass a laser beam.
The second floor is best for older kids and adults. The body exhibitions are brilliant including a skeleton inside a glass case which you make pedal a bike to see how the bones all work together. The set of pig lungs blackened to look as if the poor pig had smoked heavily for years would be enough to put anyone off the killer weed as they tried to pump air into them and then compared them to fresh healthy lungs. There are interactive optical illusions and you can also see how you will age over the years by using a computer programme
The upper floor has more of a maths and physical science feel with towers, whirlpools and a tornado. . There are also fantastic views from this level over the river Clyde and telescopes to allow you to get a better look at the landscape.
A brilliant feature for the kids is that there are daily talks and exhibitions where kids can learn more about different areas of science while their parents have a break. Last time we went the kids went to two special events, at the first one in the main mall they made and launched parachutes and the second one was a talk about gases in the science lab. You need to sign up for these events as soon as you arrive as the places can disappear quickly but the good news is that the events are free.
The building which houses the science centre also has the Scottish Power Planetarium which you need to buy separate tickets for and is well worth a visit. The Imax cinema on site has a screen the size of a football pitch and you can view educational movies for a small charge and blockbusters for a much higher price tag, make sure you book tickets for the cinema in advance as it gets very busy.
From a parents perspective, the first time I visited the Glasgow Science Centre I really enjoyed myself and had as much fun as the kids playing with the various interactive exhibits. The second visit was not nearly so much fun though as I had already seen it all and I wandered around fairly bored as the kids enjoyed themselves. It’s a place that the kids would be happy to visit over and over again if their parents have enough patience for repeat visits.
The Glasgow Science Centre is a great day out, it is best for kids aged around 5 to 12 although those a bit older and younger will also get some enjoyment out of a visit. Science need not be boring and the range of interactive exhibits proves that and the kids will learn as they are having fun. An adult ticket costs £9.95 and a kid’s ticket costs £7.95, they accept Tesco days out tokens and season passes are also available. The tickets are reasonably priced when you consider that you can easily spend a whole day there.
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