Techniquest Cardiff Review

Disclosure - we were given free entry into Techniquest and provided with lunch for the purpose of this review. All opinions are honest and our own.

If you are local to Cardiff you will have heard of Techniquest and you can read all about our visit in this Techniquest Cardiff review. It is a hands on science museum based in Cardiff Bay and we absolutely love it there and visit in most school holiday breaks. In the nicer months such as the summer you can combine your visit with a walk around Cardiff Bay which is lovely. It is really easy to get to by car and is only a few minutes walk from Cardiff Bay train station.

This summer Techniquest are celebrating 50 years since humans landed on the moon and they have some great shows and workshops to get involved in as well as all the usual Techniquest fun.

We arrived and went straight into the Mission Moon show, which is included in your entry price. It was a fabulous show and suitable for all the family. The presenters were lively and jovial and really engaging and it kept all three of my bigger children (12, 8 and 5) enthralled. There were live science experiments and big bangs and we learnt lots about the mission to land on the moon 50 years ago. It's a definite must see if you are visiting this summer.

After that we went to see the two Planetarium shows, one is for under 7's (Star Stories) and the other for over 7's (The Moon). These cost an extra £1.50 on top of your admission cost. The planetarium is quite small but it is an amazing space. You sit around in a circle and the skyline and stars are projected above your head in a dome. The talks were both really interesting and leveled at the age groups well. Again they are interactive and you are able to ask questions of the person doing the talk.

The Star Stories show focused on the different constellations that can be seen in space and the Greek myths connected to them. It was really fascinating and the children loved looking at the shapes the stars made in the sky.

The Moon show for the over 7's talked about the first people who went into space and the experiments that they did. It took a close up look at the planet Saturn too. The girls really enjoyed it and great value for the price!

After the shows we stopped for a spot of lunch in the on site café. It is a small area but perfect for a little pit stop and they sell sandwiches / baguettes / hot and cold drinks and kids lunchboxes.

We spent the rest of the afternoon then exploring Techniquest. We took part in the new trail which is a fabulous idea for older children and adults. It costs £5 but is redeemable for the same price in the gift shop so if you are planning on buying something in the shop anyway the trail is essentially free. It's a great way to encourage your children to look at the exhibits more closely and read the signs as they are playing. I found it really interesting too and it's a great thing to undertake as adults exploring the place so don't be put off thinking it's just for kids - it really wasn't that easy!

What I love most about Techniquest is that there is something for all ages. My older girls love to go off and explore and they are continuously entertained, they never tell me that they are bored! Little Boy and I wandered round and he just loves how interactive it is. It's nice to go somewhere that he is encouraged to get involved and touch things and explore. As he plays with things I just stop to explain in simple terms the science behind what he is playing with.

We had a brilliant day at Techniquest, I'd highly recommend a visit, and make sure you catch the limited time moon landing events before the end of the summer.

There is also a summer camp running at Techniquest this summer. It's perfect if you are working and can't spend the day there with your children and it's great value for money too. They are suitable for children aged 7-11 and start at £35. You can book online too. More information can be found here.

Did you find this Techniquest Cardiff Review helpful? It would be great if you would share these techniquest reviews with your friends online.