Family Day (5 September)

Visit the Science Oxford Centre for a unique family experience this summer.

Explore, discover and play in the Exploration Zone, where children and grown-ups alike have fun experimenting with interactive exhibits; create and test flying designs at the Air Table, build a giant magnetic ball run, and make fun animations.

Pick up an Explorer Backpack and see what wildlife you can spot on our outdoor nature trails.

Make a splash at the outdoor Water Lab – experiment with floating and sinking, water flow and have fun with interchangeable accessories.

Pop-up Planetarium show in our inflatable science dome (strictly limited places available, Family Day Ticket and Planetarium Ticket pre-booking essential - information below; over 3s only).

Suitable for ages 3+ (all ages welcome). Under 3s free; a full price Single Ticket is required to complete your order.

Pre-booking essential. All visitors to the Centre require a ticket.

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What is included in your ticket:

• Two-hour timeslot in the Exploration Zone
• Access to the woodland and outdoor areas from 10am–5pm (last entry 4.30pm)
• Make a splash at the outdoor Water Lab – experiment with floating and sinking, water flow and have fun with interchangeable accessories.
• Parking (limited availability on a first come first serve basis. See visiting and travel information here)

What is NOT included

• Entry to Club
• Planetarium show ticket

Event information

Exploration Zone Sessions

10am-12pm

12.30pm-2.30pm

3pm - 5pm

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Planetarium show 'Life Elsewhere' in our inflatable science dome (Monthly pop-up feature! Strictly limited places available – pre-booking essential).

Journey from the icy moons of our own Solar System to distant worlds orbiting other stars. Explore the thousands of exoplanets already discovered in our galaxy, and consider what it would mean if we found life beyond Earth. Along the way, we’ll travel across the Milky Way, zoom out to the vastness of the cosmos, and reflect on our own fragile world. An inspiring exploration of science, scale and one of humanity’s biggest questions: could there be life elsewhere?

Admission to the planetarium show requires both a Family Day Ticket and a £3 Planetarium Ticket for each person.

Each 30-minute session includes the show, a brief Q&A, and time to enter and exit the planetarium.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. No entry for under 3s.

Show times:

Please queue 10 minutes before your planetarium show time.

11:00AM - 11:30PM

12:00PM - 12:30PM

13:30PM - 14:00PM

14:30PM - 15:00PM

The same show is repeated in all sessions.

You can choose any planetarium show time that fits your plans — before, during, or after your visit to the woodland and other Family Day activities.

Due to the nature of the inflatable planetarium, capacity is limited to 25 people per show for safety and comfort. Booking early is recommended to avoid disappointment.

Please note: Seating is on the floor with a cushion. We can accomodate a limited number of wheelchairs or chairs if required. Please contact us with any accessibility enquiries: events@scienceoxford.com.

Planetarium Visual Guide here.

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The Science Oxford Centre Visitor Café

Emira's Kitchen Open from 10am - 4pm with hot and cold drinks, light lunches, snacks and cakes. Families are also welcome to bring their own food and refreshments to eat at our lunch tables.

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Additional Support

If you're a visitor with a disability and you need a carer, personal assistant, or essential companion, free carer tickets are available to book to help you with access during the visit.

You may be asked to provide ID when you arrive for the list of these ID documents and how to book your ticket see our accessibility information.

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Prices, terms of booking/refunds policy

£9.50 per person (includes Eventbrite booking fee). Free tickets available for Under 3s and Carers. (see FAQs Carer Tickets on scienceoxford.com for criteria details.

Maximum size of a Family Day order is 10x tickets. For orders above 10, please contact us at events@scienceoxford.com to enquire about a Group Booking.

Science Oxford Centre visiting information and FAQs please visit here.

For information on our refund policy and event terms and conditions visit here.

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Important notice: Centre works & parking

Due to the ongoing site improvement works, you may notice some changes to the area immediately outside the centre and access to the woodland and trails. There are temporary diversions in place directing parking (please use all available bays). There is also unrestricted free parking on Quarry Road. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we complete these necessary improvements.

If you have any queries, please contact us via events@scienceoxford.com or 01865 810000.