Pavilhão do Conhecimento

The Pavilhão do Conhecimento occupies the Knowledge Pavilion built for Expo 98, a concrete and glass block by João Luís Carrilho da Graça, and it opened as Portugal's national science centre in 1999. It is hands-on throughout: several hundred exhibits across sections on physics, mathematics, biology and technology that visitors operate themselves rather than read about. The best-known is the bicycle ridden along a steel cable several metres above the floor, stable because of a heavy counterweight hanging beneath - a demonstration of centre of mass that people queue for. There is a house under construction where children use real tools, a section on the human body, a maker space, and a programme of temporary exhibitions. It is aimed at families and school groups, and it is honest about being so. The Oceanário is next door and the two are often done in one day.

The main sights

• The cable bicycle - ridden above the floor, stable on a hanging counterweight.
• The hands-on halls - several hundred exhibits operated by visitors themselves.
• The building - Carrilho da Graça's Expo 98 pavilion.
• The construction site - a section where children build with real tools.

When to go

Year-round. Two to four hours. Weekday mornings in term are full of school groups; afternoons and weekends are family-heavy.

Good to know

Aimed squarely at children - adults without them may find it thin. Very loud and crowded on school days and at weekends. Some exhibits are out of order at any given time. Signage is better in Portuguese than English.

Nearby

The Oceanário is next door; the Parque das Nações waterfront and cable car are alongside.

Key facts