When Colin Duncan made a trip to the City of Arts and Sciences – Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias – he was blown away by the range of possibilities on offer…
In the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia there are many attractions for all ages and
all different walks of life. First, there is the Oceanogràfic, the largest aquarium in all of Europe,
home to 45,000 specimens from around 500 different species.
Next, there is the Hemisfèric, a digital 3D cinema with a 900-metre concave screen, which shows mostly
educational documentaries each day. Then there is the Palau de les Arts, an opera house and
cultural centre. Also, there is Umbracle, an open-access garden that spans more than 17,000
square metres. Then there is the Ágora, which is home to the CaixaForum, a multipurpose
space that hosts live music, conferences, and shows. Finally, there is the Museu de les
Ciències, the Science Museum of Valencia.
The architecture is stunning
The stunning architecture of the Museu de les Ciències is almost as intriguing as the
exhibits on the inside. The main focus of this museum is to showcase a plethora of interactive
exhibitions and various collections related to all things science and technology. This vast
complex is over 42,000 square metres, making it the largest of its kind in all of Spain. The
renowned architect Santiago Calatrava started building the Museu de les Ciències in 1996 and
it was first opened on June 16, 1998. The use of glass and white concrete has many visitors
comparing the look of the building to the shape of the skeleton of a whale.
The main objective of the Museu de les Ciències is to “stimulate curiosity and critical
thinking. While at the same time, surprising and amusing the public by its contents from the world
of science, technology, and the environment.” The museum offers many exhibits. Fran
Vivo Hacia Adelante, Up to Space: Misión Espacial, Mediterranea. The Moon at your Fingertips,
Atchugarry: Towards the Future. Mars: The Conquest of a Dream. Terra Extraordinària.
Chromosome Forest. Foucault’s Pendulum. Zero Gravity, To Fly, Space Simulator. A Century of
Nobel Prizes, Santiago Grisolía, Jean Dausset, DNA, and many more.
The natural world explained
There are also various exhibits that feature baby chickens hatching, carpenter ants, and tarantulas!
There are also many different workshops that are open to the general public. In the Robots workshop, you will develop your skills in programming and familiarize yourself with new technologies by building robots. At Chemistry in Action, you will do many different experiments to increase your hands-on science skills. And Red Hot allows you to use infrared cameras to see the temperature of not only yourself but also the objects around you.
Museu de les Ciències is one of the most interesting and intriguing places to visit in
Valencia and is a must-see for all tourists and residents. It is extremely family-friendly and a
great place to visit on any type of day.
• The pricing of tickets at the Museu de les Ciències is fairly reasonable with general
admission ranging from €6.90 to €9.00 depending on your age and disabilities. The pricing on
workshops and exhibits not included in general admission varies but they all will cost around
€10 depending on the day that you visit
