Copernicus Science Centre

The Centrum Nauki Kopernik opened in 2010 on the Vistula bank and quickly became one of the most visited museums in Poland, with well over a million visitors a year. It is a hands-on science centre in the tradition of the Exploratorium: several hundred exhibits across galleries covering physics, biology, human perception, engineering and the history of civilisation, almost all of them meant to be operated rather than looked at. There is a high-voltage lightning demonstration in a dedicated theatre, a robotic theatre with animatronic performances, a laboratory zone where visitors run real experiments with supervision, and a section for very young children. The Heavens of Copernicus planetarium next door has a domed screen and its own programme. The building itself is a low concrete and glass block with a rooftop garden overlooking the river, and the boulevards below are part of the same riverside development.

History

Work on the project began in early 2004, and in December 2005 the RAr-2 practice from Ruda Śląska won the international competition to design the building; construction started in July 2008. The first module and most of the permanent galleries opened on 5 November 2010, the Robotic Theatre followed on 6 December 2010 and the planetarium, the Heavens of Copernicus, on 19 June 2011 (Wikipedia, Copernicus Science Centre).

What you'll find

• Several hundred hands-on exhibits - across physics, biology, perception and engineering.
• A lightning theatre - high-voltage demonstrations in a dedicated space.
• A robotic theatre - animatronic performances on a schedule.
• The planetarium - a domed screen next door with its own programme.

When to go

All year. A day.

Things to know

Tickets must be booked ahead and weekend and school-holiday slots sell out well in advance. It is loud and very busy with children. The planetarium is a separate ticket. Closed Mondays outside holidays.

Nearby

The Vistula boulevards run along the front; the old town is north.

Key facts