Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is located at 2000 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. It is one of the largest science and technology museums in mainland China and a national 5A-level tourist attraction. The scenic area covers an area of 68,000 square meters with a building area of 100,600 square meters, consisting of one underground floor, four above-ground floors and a mezzanine on the top. Its feature lies in taking "Nature·Human·Technology" as the theme, integrating natural science, technological engineering and humanities and arts through various forms such as interactive experiences, popular science exhibitions and scientific experiments. It is a comprehensive science and technology museum integrating science popularization, technology display, academic exchanges and leisure tourism. The museum has 11 permanent exhibition halls, 4 special cinemas, 2 temporary exhibition halls, as well as multiple laboratories and popular science activity rooms, receiving about 2 million visitors annually. It is an important popular science education base and tourist landmark in Shanghai.
History and Culture
The idea of building Shanghai Science and Technology Museum originated in the 1990s. At that time, to meet the needs of Shanghai's economic and social development and popular science undertakings, the municipal government put forward a plan to build a modern science and technology museum. In 1996, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum project was officially approved, designed by French architect Jean-Marie Charpentier. Integrating the architectural concept of technology and art, the main building is in a spiral upward shape, symbolizing the infinite possibilities of scientific exploration.
In December 2001, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum was officially opened to the public, filling the gap of large comprehensive science and technology museums in Shanghai. Since its opening, the museum has been constantly updating exhibits and exhibition items, introducing cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements. For example, the "Aerospace World" exhibition hall was added in 2006, the "Earth Homeland" exhibition hall was upgraded in 2010 in conjunction with the Shanghai World Expo, and the "Robot World" was intelligently transformed in 2020. As a national first-class museum, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum has always been committed to science popularization, holding hundreds of special exhibitions such as the "Centennial Exhibition of Nobel Prizes" and "Aerospace Science and Technology Exhibition". It has received more than 30 million visitors in total, becoming an important platform for spreading scientific ideas and cultivating innovative spirit, and has witnessed the development of popular science undertakings in Shanghai and even China.
Main Attractions
Children's Science Park
Children's Science Park is located on the underground floor, covering an area of about 1,000 square meters. It is designed specifically for children aged 3-10 to stimulate their interest in science through interactive games and interesting experiments. The exhibition area is divided into "Smart Paradise", "Nature Exploration", "Little Engineers" and other regions, with more than 20 exhibits such as "Water Flow Rotation", "Light and Shadow Magician" and "Building Small Houses". Among them, the "Bubble World" exhibit allows children to make giant bubbles by themselves to understand the principle of surface tension; the "Simulated Archaeology" area has buried replica dinosaur bones, where children can use tools for excavation to experience the work of archaeologists.
Earth Homeland
The Earth Homeland Exhibition Hall is located on the first floor, covering an area of about 1,800 square meters, focusing on earth's ecology and environmental issues. Through dynamic models, multimedia interactions and other methods, the exhibition hall shows the evolution process of the earth, the distribution of natural resources and the principle of ecological balance. The core exhibit "Earth Panoramic Theater" is a spherical screen with a diameter of 10 meters, which cyclically plays the short film "Planet Earth" to show the ecological landscape of different climate zones; the "Energy Corridor" displays various energy forms such as fossil energy, solar energy and wind energy. Visitors can experience "human power generation" by stepping on pedals to intuitively feel the energy conversion process. In addition, the exhibition hall also has a "garbage classification interactive game" to let visitors learn about environmental protection knowledge through answering questions and practical operations.
Robot World
Robot World is located on the second floor, covering an area of about 1,200 square meters, focusing on displaying the research and development achievements and application scenarios of various robots. The exhibition area is divided into three sections: "Industrial Robots", "Service Robots" and "Entertainment Robots", with more than 20 robots with different functions. Among them, the "Robot Band" is composed of 5 robots, which can play music such as "Jasmine Flower" to show the combination of machinery and art; the "Robot Calligrapher" can write brush characters on the spot according to the text input by visitors, with an accuracy error of no more than 0.5 mm; in the "Human-Robot Chess Game" area, visitors can play chess with intelligent robots, and the reaction speed of the robots can reach 0.1 seconds per step.
Aerospace World
Aerospace World is located on the third floor, covering an area of about 1,500 square meters. With the theme of aerospace technology, it shows the history of human exploration of space. There is a 1:1 simulation model of the Shenzhou V return capsule in the exhibition hall, where visitors can enter the capsule to experience the living space of astronauts; the "Moon Walk" exhibit uses VR technology to simulate the surface environment of the moon, allowing visitors to feel the state of walking in weightlessness; the "Rocket Launch Command Center" allows visitors to play the role of commanders and participate in the whole process of simulated rocket launch to understand the key links of aerospace launch. In addition, the exhibition hall also displays real satellite debris and astronaut training equipment, showing the development track of aerospace technology.
Light of Wisdom
Light of Wisdom is located on the fourth floor, covering an area of about 2,000 square meters, focusing on the classic principles and interesting applications of basic disciplines such as physics and mathematics. There are more than 50 interactive exhibits in the exhibition hall, such as "Foucault Pendulum", "Cone Rolling Upward" and "Propagation of Sound". Among them, the "Giant Balance" can weigh large objects such as cars, intuitively showing the principle of leverage; the "Light Tunnel" forms an infinitely extending light and shadow effect through the reflection of multiple mirrors, explaining the law of light reflection; in the "Probability Maze", small balls fall into different areas through random collisions of thousands of nodes, allowing visitors to understand the concept of probability. Each exhibit is accompanied by a detailed explanation of its principles, taking into account both interest and knowledge.
Food
Science and Technology Museum Restaurant
Science and Technology Museum Restaurant is located on the east side of the first floor, covering an area of about 800 square meters, which can accommodate 500 people for dining at the same time. It mainly serves Chinese fast food, with Western-style light meals also available. Dishes include Shanghai xiaolongbao (15 yuan per cage, 8 pieces), braised pork chop rice (35 yuan per serving), Italian bolognese pasta (30 yuan per serving), etc., with moderate prices. The restaurant adopts a self-service ordering mode, with an average waiting time of about 10 minutes, and has a children's dining area, providing small portions of dishes and tableware suitable for children.
Space-themed Cafe
The space-themed cafe is located next to the Aerospace World on the third floor, covering an area of about 200 square meters. The decoration features space elements, with seats designed in the shape of rockets and walls decorated with planetary patterns. The main dishes include the "Astronaut Set Meal" (58 yuan per serving, including space compressed biscuits, energy bars and fruit juice) and "Planet Cake" (25 yuan per piece, shaped like planets in the solar system), which are suitable for parent-child families. The cafe also provides free aerospace knowledge manuals for visitors to read while dining.
Surrounding Food
There are several catering establishments within 1 kilometer around Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The "Shanghai Local Cuisine Restaurant" at No. 1 Century Avenue features braised pork in brown sauce (68 yuan per serving) and steamed hilsa herring (128 yuan per serving), about 8 minutes' walk from the Science and Technology Museum; the "Century Park Cafe" on the south side of the Science and Technology Museum offers coffee (28-45 yuan per cup) and sandwiches (20-35 yuan per serving), suitable for a casual break; in addition, the "Food Plaza" 300 meters away from the Science and Technology Museum has various local snacks, such as Chongqing noodles (18 yuan per bowl) and Shaanxi meat sandwiches (12 yuan each), meeting different taste needs.
Tickets
The ticket price is 45 yuan per person. As of July 25, 2025, it is closed for renovation and upgrading, and the opening time is expected to be December 2025.
You can search for the official public account "上海科技馆" on WeChat to get the latest news or make online reservations.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are from 9:00 to 17:15 (admission stops at 16:30) from Tuesday to Sunday every week, and it is closed on Mondays (except legal holidays). During legal holidays, the opening hours are from 9:00 to 17:15, and it is closed on New Year's Eve. During the summer vacation from July 1 to August 31, and during the Spring Festival and National Day golden weeks every year, the opening hours are extended to 20:00 (admission stops at 19:30). It is recommended that visitors check the official announcement in advance to confirm the specific opening hours.
Tour Route
Recommended tour route: 1st floor Earth Homeland (1.5 hours) → 2nd floor Robot World (1 hour) → 3rd floor Aerospace World (1.5 hours) → 4th floor Light of Wisdom (2 hours) → underground floor Children's Science Park (1.5 hours), with a total duration of about 7.5 hours. If traveling with children, you can first visit the underground Children's Science Park, then visit in the order from the 1st floor to the 4th floor; if time is limited (within 4 hours), it is recommended to focus on visiting the three major exhibition halls: Earth Homeland, Robot World and Light of Wisdom, and watch an IMAX dome movie (about 40 minutes). The exhibition halls are connected by elevators and escalators, and each floor has rest areas and signposts to facilitate visitors to plan their routes.
Transportation
- Metro: Take Metro Line 2 to Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station, get out from Exit 1 or 6, and walk about 300 meters to the main entrance of the Science and Technology Museum, which takes about 5 minutes in total.
- Bus: Take bus No. 640, 794, 983, Pudong No. 35 to Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station, then walk about 200 meters to reach, with an average interval of 10-15 minutes between buses.
- Self-driving: The underground parking lot of the Science and Technology Museum has 800 parking spaces, with a charging standard of 10 yuan per hour and a maximum single charge of 50 yuan per day. The entrance of the parking lot is located on the north side of Century Avenue, about 100 meters from the main entrance.
- Taxi: Taking a taxi from the center of Shanghai (People's Square) to the Science and Technology Museum, the distance is about 15 kilometers, the cost is about 45-55 yuan, and it takes 30-40 minutes (during non-peak hours).
Must-visit Attractions
- Light of Wisdom: With an area of 2,000 square meters, it has more than 50 interactive exhibits on physics and mathematics. Classic exhibits such as "Foucault Pendulum" and "Light Tunnel" allow visitors to intuitively feel scientific principles, suitable for visitors of all ages.
- Robot World: There are more than 20 robots with different functions in the 1,200-square-meter exhibition hall. Exhibits such as "Robot Band" and "Human-Robot Chess Game" show the charm of artificial intelligence, with strong interactivity.
- Aerospace World: A 1,500-square-meter aerospace-themed exhibition hall with a simulation model of the Shenzhou V return capsule and VR moon walk experience, which is the core area to learn about aerospace technology.
- IMAX Dome Cinema: It has a 23-meter-diameter spherical screen and can accommodate 442 people. When playing popular science films, the images covers the entire viewing angle of the audience, bringing an immersive experience, with 4-6 screenings every day.
- Children's Science Park: A 1,000-square-meter area dedicated to children, with more than 20 interesting exhibits suitable for children aged 3-10. Interactive projects such as "Bubble World" and "Simulated Archaeology" can stimulate children's interest in science.
Tour Suggestions
- The best time to visit is from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on weekdays, when there are fewer visitors, so you can avoid the peak crowd and improve the experience efficiency.
- It is recommended to bring a water cup (there are free drinking fountains in the museum), a light backpack (to store personal belongings), and wear comfortable sports shoes (with an average daily walk of about 8,000 steps).
- Reserve special cinema sessions in advance on the official public account. Tickets for popular films (such as "Cosmic Wonders") on weekends are often sold out 3 days in advance, and you can prefer the 10:00 a.m. or 14:00 p.m. sessions.
- The average per capita catering consumption is about 30-60 yuan. If you want to save time, you can bring your own light meals (non-irritating food) to eat in the rest area. Taking takeout into the exhibition hall is prohibited in the museum.
- There are free lockers on each floor (a 1-yuan coin is required, which will be returned when picking up items), which can store luggage or heavy clothes to reduce the burden of visiting.
Matters Needing Attention
- Using flash photography is prohibited in the exhibition hall, and photography is prohibited for some interactive exhibits (such as VR equipment). Please abide by the requirements of on-site signs.
- Children must be accompanied by adults to enter the Children's Science Park. Children under 1.3 meters tall are not allowed to take elevators or escalators alone to avoid accidents.
- Do not touch the core components of the exhibits (such as robot sensors and precision instrument interfaces). Improper operation may cause equipment failure, and you shall bear corresponding responsibilities.
- Smoking (including e-cigarettes) is prohibited in the museum. Bringing inflammable and explosive items and pets into the museum is prohibited. Dining must be in designated areas to keep the exhibition hall clean.
- In case of equipment failure or physical discomfort, you can contact the staff in blue work clothes in the exhibition hall.
- Tickets and cinema tickets are non-refundable once sold. If you miss the reserved session, you need to repurchase the ticket (depending on the remaining tickets of the day). It is recommended to arrange your time reasonably.