Winchester Science Centre, Telegraph Way, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 1HZ.
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When looking to visit Winchester Science Centre, tickets can be purchased both online and at the attraction. Financially, we found it beneficial to prebook online. This is due to an online discount they offer; 25% saving when booking online 7 days+ before visiting compared to booking on the day/the day before.
Ticket prices without the gift aid donation (these were correct as of the 04/04/2024):
7 days+ in advance prebooked online – Both children and adults are £12.90 each.
2-6 days in advance prebooked online – Both children and adults are £14.09 each.
On the day/prebooking online the day before - Both children and adults are £16.18 each.
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Gift aid donation tickets are also available at an increased ticket price to the prices shown above.
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Children tickets are age 3-16 years. Children 2 years old and under are free of charge but require an under 3 ticket which can be purchased both online and on the day. There is also a ticket option for Carer’s, which are free of charge.
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Winchester Science Centre offers an annual membership of £45 per person. They also offer a planetarium show while you are there for an additional £4 each on top of the normal admission fee, which is an optional extra.
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Winchester Science Centre is open to the public during school holidays and weekends only. This is between 9:30am-5pm.
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We found due to their opening times, it got busy rather quickly. Luckily, there is lots to do there which meant we didn’t spend long waiting at each attraction to have a go.
We spent just over 2 hours there as the boys were getting tired. However, we easily could have spent the whole day there.
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At Winchester Science Centre there was a variety of activities to take part in. There was a small soft play which is perfect to fill the gap while waiting for one of the science live shows to begin and a reasonably sized gift shop which offered souvenirs from as little as a £1. Science live shows run throughout the day. During these shows, they show a different science experiment including setting bubbles on fire. We didn’t have to worry about not being able to see as you can view the experiment from the main level looking down or on the lower ground level where the experiment is taking place. There is also a free bookable science theatre show and many interactive areas including:
Sound, Hearing & Vibration
Explorer:Space
Bio:Space
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One of our favourite parts of the Sound, Hearing & Vibration area was the Sonic Rocket where you could speak into a microphone while holding a room button to show how your voice projects in different rooms, including a bathroom, theatre, and even outer space. We also enjoyed the large walkthrough Guitar and the Snake Pendulum.
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One of our favourite parts of the Explorer:Space was the heatproof screen where we could see the warmth on us and the slanted floor room which from the TV monitor made the room look flat.
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One of our favourite parts of the Bio:Space was the Bug area.
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There is plenty of parking available in a hard surface carpark, which includes disabled spaces, but there were no child spaces. Parking is an additional £3 per car and can be both prebooked online when purchasing tickets or can be bought on the day.
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While at Winchester Science Centre, you can stop for something to eat at either the Café Hub which is on the main level or the Café Hut which is on the lower ground by the soft play area. When walking past, the prices seemed reasonable. A panini was around £4.50. You can also bring your own food. There are tables available outside each café and there was also a picnic area outside which you can gain access to via the lower ground floor by the café.
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When we visited, our children were 2 years old (a month away from turning 3) and 17 months old. We found this day out had something for everyone, no matter your age.
There were quite a few toilets available on the main floor including an accessible toilet. There was also an accessible toilet and changing facility on the lower ground floor. When visiting the toilets my husband found the male toilets clean, however when I visited the female toilets, I was shocked to find faeces smeared on one of the bathroom cubicles.
Many people left their pushchairs in front of the main floor toilets to allow them to look around more freely.
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To travel between the two floors, there were two sets of stairs and a lift available. The attractions/activities were well spaced leaving enough room for a wheelchair to pass through. We also found on the lower ground floor, there was an area where you could go/take a child which is quiet to help them calm down if they were becoming overwhelmed.
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Overall, we would visit again but we would try to spend a longer amount of time here. When we saw staff, they seemed friendly and helpful. Due to how busy it got, their opening hours/days and the cleanliness of the toilets, we have rated this day out 3 ½ stars out of 5.
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Date of recent visit: March 2024
