Winchester Science Centre
and Planetarium
www.winchestersciencecentre.org
Reviewed by Helen Warner
We were excited to be having a day at the Winchester Science Centre. Myself, my husband, father in law and my two children aged 7 and 3 all went along for a family day out.
The centre is set in lovely grounds and parking was very easy and plentiful. Signposts to the centre were easy to follow.
We went into the centre and booked the planetarium show for later on plus a free mad chemistry session.
When we entered it looked spacious and there didn’t seem to be a lot there. How wrong we were! It was just nicely spaced out so we didn’t feel crowded. There were so many stations with different things to discover. Having spoken to a member of staff, the stations follow the school key stages. We did ask questions about how a particular station worked and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. The children (I am also referring to the ‘grown up’ children!) were captivated from the moment we entered. Experimenting and figuring things out for themselves.
We had lunch in the cafe. The children had the lunchbox’s which contained a sandwich, fruit, crisps, cake, a drink and a toy. Unfortunately one of the sandwiches seemed a little stale. I asked for a fresh one which was provided. The adults enjoyed our food of soup and Panini’s and the prices were average. There was outdoor seating also and plenty of seating downstairs for picnics in poor weather.
The mad chemistry session was great, the staff member running it kept the children engaged and interested. The children learnt about acid’s and alkaline and mixed solutions together which they enjoyed.
There were plenty more science stations downstairs which we worked our way around. We could actually have spent a couple of days going round it all and then back to our favourites and not got bored.
The planetarium is amazing! I could have spent hours in there, watching the space show on the 360 screen. The content was perfect for adults and children alike. The only thing I would say is it was very cold in there so would be more comfortable if a little warmer.
The children loved choosing a little gift each from the shop which was well stocked and laid out.
All in all we had an amazing day which we talked about all the way home. I would recommend to anyone and they even do evening talks and shows for the adults. We can’t wait to go back. Thank you Winchester science centre.
A great fun and educational day for the whole family.
Rating: 5/5 
Opening hours: 10am – 4pm weekdays, 10am – 5pm weekends.
General admission prices (these prices include Gift Aid – see website for full details):
Adult – £9, Child (3-16 years) – £6.50, OAP/Student – £7.50, Family (2 adults, 2 children) – £27.90
Planetarium admission prices:
£2.20 if bought with General Admission Ticket, £5 if Planetarium Only Ticket.
To book tickets online visit www.winchestersciencecentre.org.
Telegraph Way, Morn Hill, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1HZ | Telephone: 01962 863791.
