{Scotland} Dundee Science Centre

100 Museums Challenge: Museum No.84

During our recent little holiday in Scotland, we visited the Dundee Science Centre, a hands-on experience aimed at families. There was a special CSI exhibit that had just opened for the Scottish summer holidays, and runs until the end of August, so we jumped right in with the dig pit. Forget about dino digs, we were digging up (replica) human bones! After the kids had dug them up, cleaned with with brushes, and collected them in a bucket, they could take them to a member of staff who helped them identify – with the help of an anatomical skeleton – which part of the body the bones were from.

The permanent exhibits at Dundee Science Centre are spread across two floors. Downstairs focuses mainly on the human body, with everything from optical illusions or testing your observation skills, to finding out how different parts of your body work. An all time favourite, which we’ve come across in other science museums before, is morphing a photograph of yourself to see how you would like more male or female, as an ape, or as the person before you.

Climbing up inside a giant head and being ‘sneezed’ out at the other end (a.k.a. going down a slide) was also hilarious fun too!

There was also an area specifically aimed at younger children, with a storytelling/book corner, a play house with lots of dressing up costumes, building bricks and other toys to play with, and some musical interactives.

The upper floor of Dundee Science Centre focuses on technology, including a large section on robots. We took a robot quiz, manipulated robots to make them speak or flash lights, and #MuseumBoy successfully took the laser course challenge to disarm a robot, after crawling stealthily along the floor. My favourite part was when the robot told him, in a very heavy Scottish accent, that he would make a very good bank robber!

The Science Centre’s website suggest 2-3 hours for a visit, and that’s almost exactly how long we spent there, including lunch at the Infusion Coffee Shop. High chairs, baby changing facilities and a kids menu was available, as were the usual soup and sandwich options as well as baked potatoes, which was a very welcome addition for people like me who can’t eat regular sandwiches.

Dundee Science Centre is usually open daily from 10am to 5pm. Full price tickets were £7.95 at the time of visiting, with concessions for children, students, senior citizens and assisted adults and children. Children under age 4 go free, and all children under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Up to date info on opening times and admission can be found on the Science Centre’s website.