The end of the year is the time to plan new projects and take advantage of all the fun possibilities. Already thinking about the next vacation, here are some tips and curiosities about science and technology museums that are international benchmarks. From Brazil to Shanghai, the options are not to be missed with flexible itineraries for all budgets and ages.
What cannot be missing in your luggage: curiosity to learn and the desire to embark on an interactive and fascinating marathon.
Exploratory, United States
The Museum of Science, Technology and Art located on the shores of San Francisco Bay (USA), and is considered the best museum attraction in California by Trip Advisor. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience, the General Learning Laboratory, designed by physicist Frank Oppenheimer, explores the world from the perspectives of science, art, and human cognition and has already exposed famous minds like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
The Exploratorium contains more than 600 attractions that are divided into different sections. The participatory nature of the Informal Learning Center has led to its being considered the prototype of interactive museums around the world.
In 2013, the site gained a massive new headquarters at Piers 15 and 17 on the Embarcadero, and has since been considered one of the top science museums in the United States. It is a spatial curiosity that, with photovoltaic panels, the museum can produce more energy than it consumes.
when you go?
From Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Thursdays it is also open from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for people over 18 years of age.
Museum of Science and Art, Singapore
As its name suggests, ArtScience is a historical cultural landmark in Singapore, built on Marina Bay Sands, combining art and science. The permanent exhibition of the museum is called “The world of the future”, and it relates art, science, technology and culture in various interactive settings and with many audiovisual elements. The exhibition generates debates, especially about our relationship with the environment, society and the universe.
The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions in more than 21 galleries covering almost 5,000 square meters. Interpretations of paleontology, marine biology, cosmology, and space exploration include world art classics such as Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dalí, and MC Escher, among others.
Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the Arts and Science Museum’s design is inspired by the lotus flower, also known as Singapore’s welcoming hand.
when you go?
From Monday to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (last entry allowed until 6 p.m.).
SESI Laboratory, Brazil
The first and only interactive museum in Brazil opened its doors to the public in the most iconic setting of the country’s capital, in the old Touring Club building, an iconic building designed by Oscar Niemeyer at the time of the creation of the city of Brasilia. There are more than 100 interactive experiences in the full-length gallery, as well as temporary exhibitions and highly diverse cultural programming.
The SESI Lab is an initiative of the Social Service for Industry (SESI), in alliance with the National Industrial Learning Service (SENAI), to strengthen the relationship between technical, scientific and technological actions, in collaboration with industry and society. . The museum has a corporate partnership with the Exploratorium and features iconic hardware straight from California as well as unprecedented facilities for all audiences.
A true bastion of science, technology, innovation and education for all ages and a unique tourist and architectural attraction, worthy of a city considered a World Heritage Site. Around 350,000 visitors are expected each year, in addition to 85,000 students and 3,000 teachers in training programs who will be able to visit the five galleries and participate in workshops, courses, cultural activities and film screenings.
when you go?
From Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Science Museum London England
One of London’s most visited tourist attractions, the Science Museum houses an impressive collection of more than 300,000 inventions that defined human history. The museum is a great delight for the most curious children, since everything is aimed at visitors interacting with technological and scientific objects in a fun way.
It was inaugurated in 1857 to unite some pieces from the Great London Exhibition of 1851 with the collection of the Royal Society of Arts. Some of the most impressive things you’ll find there are the Newcommen Steam Engine (1712), the Babbage Calculating Machine (1832), and the Apollo X Command Unit (1969).
Through simulators, videos, games, replicas, and original pieces, the museum tells the story of humanity through creations and discoveries. In the Science Museum of London is the oldest collection of clocks in the world. The exhibition of the Museum of Watchmakers shows the importance of controlling time to move, conquer new territories, crops, etc.
when you go?
Monday to Monday from 10 am to 6 pm.
The galleries begin to close 30 minutes before the museum closes.
Shanghai Astronomy Museum, China
The world’s largest astronomy museum, the Shanghai Astronomy Museum contains a planetarium, an observatory, and a 78-meter solar telescope. The complex curved shape of space is designed to reflect the geometry of the universe. Without lines or right angles, the structure consists of three superimposed arches that indicate the orbits of the celestial bodies.
The exhibition is divided into three spaces: World of Robotics, World Animals and Space Research. In Robot World, you can play gomoku with a robot, sing karaoke while another robot plays the piano, or watch a painting robot paint your image. In the Animal World game, you can see the plastic anatomy of animals. In the field of space research, it is possible to carry out experiments related to space, such as hypogravity or do exercises like astronauts.
The space is a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, occupies more than 38,000 square meters and opened in 2021. The design of the building is inspired by the orbits of celestial bodies and the geometry of the universe. Also known as the Shanghai Planetarium, it is located in the Lingang district, southeast of the city.
when you go?
From Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Museum of Catavento, Brazil
from the atom to the largest planet in the solar system; From the smallest insect to the largest animal on Earth; from the laws of physics to chemical transformations; From the ecosystem to the cause of environmental protection. At the Museu Catavento everything is presented in an interactive way to make your visit an interesting journey of knowledge and culture.
The museum is located in São Paulo and has 219 installations in 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, divided into four large sections: Universe, Life, Enginho and Society. Highlights include a mini planetarium, a digital tour, an electromagnetic section, and an aquarium with saltwater fish.
With exhibitions with simple or complex ideas, such as: reproducing the lunar floor in the footsteps of astronaut Neil Armstrong, traveling through Brazil in the age of the dinosaurs; Understand how hair-raising or creeping static works as you meet great characters from history.
when you go?
From Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00.
Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT), Portugal
The Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology is located in Lisbon and is known for hosting national and international thematic and temporary exhibitions that raise contemporary issues and trends for debate, divided into four thematic rooms.
Launched in October 2016, MAAT is an international institution dedicated to promoting critical discourse and creative practice with the goal of fostering new understandings of the historical present and responsible engagement with a shared future.
The MAAT is located in the historic neighborhood of Belém, in Lisbon, within the EDP Foundation campus and occupies an area of 38,000 square meters that includes a transformer-based thermal power station – Central Tejo, an emblematic building of industrial architecture built in 1908. .
when you go?
From Wednesday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
German Museum of Technology, Germany
Located in Berlin, the German Museum of Technology is an ideal place to discover the history of world science. Divided into 19 permanent exhibits, the collection brings together the amazing inventions that changed the course of society, including airplanes, ships, trains, an old brewery, a blacksmith shop, water, and windmills.
Founded in 1982, the museum has spaces dedicated to the world of navigation and aviation, but also exhibits objects related to photographic technology and the textile industry.
Most of the exhibits at the German Museum of Technology incorporate dozens of experiments and exhibits that allow for the discovery of physical phenomena through play. However, the experiments do not have set hours and not all of them are carried out every day.
when you go?
From Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 5:30 pm.
Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm.
Technology, United States
The Tech Museum of Innovation or The Tech is located in California, in Silicon Valley, and deals with various topics related to technology, design, energy and even genetics. The museum experience is unique and provides learning through interaction.
Another highlight of the museum is the Silicon Valley Innovation Gallery, which shows how Silicon Valley has changed communications, creativity, and human thinking. The structure is divided into galleries of more than 100 interactive hands-on experiences covering topics from space exploration to genetics.
In 2015, The Tech received the National Medal for Service to Museums and Libraries, the highest honor an American museum, science center, or cultural institution can achieve.
when you go?
From Tuesday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Science Center of Ontario, Canada
Located in Toronto, the Ontario Science Center is a museum that combines science and technology in interactive exhibits where visitors of all ages can learn through play and discover ways of thinking like scientists every day. It has been in operation since 1969 and is one of the places with the longest tradition in the city.
Guided by the principle that science, technology and innovation will help us shape a better future, the Science Center is divided between passive and interactive permanent exhibits, featuring geology, natural and astronomical sciences, human anatomy, communication and numerous scientific artifacts.
The space contains three main buildings connected by bridges, elevators, and escalators, housing 10 halls with more than 500 exhibits and fun hands-on activities and presentations. Among the highlights are a modern planetarium, meteorites from Mars, cosmic rays and black holes. north
when you go?
From Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm.
