Experiment Science Center in Gdynia – perfect for bad weather

The Polish seaside is sometimes different – everyone knows that. So when planning a vacation to the Baltic Sea, it’s a good idea to have covered places to protect from rain or heat. And if this place not only entertains, but also educates then it’s already great. Today about just such a place, namely the Experiment Science Center in Gdynia.

We delayed our visit to the Experiment Science Center in Gdynia for a long time. We were concerned that children under the age of 3 would not be interested in anything here. However, after our visit this year to a similar place in Toruń(the Knowledge Mill), we changed our minds and decided to give it a try.

We went there during the May weekend, quite rainy and cold. Unlike Ocean Park, which we wrote about here, there were long lines for the Experiment, and it was quite crowded and noisy inside. When we stood at the end of the queue we were told that we faced 2 hours of queuing (this is also the information displayed above the cash registers)! This was due to the fact that there may be a limited number of people inside the… Fortunately, at the end of the day it was “only” 30 minutes of standing in line (with a watch in hand), and during this time the children could occupy themselves with coloring books or play in a specially prepared corner at the cash registers. In plus!

Ticket prices

How much does it cost to enter the Experiment? Price-wise it’s not too bad! An adult pays 20 zloty, and a child (over 2 years old) pays 12 zloty. For a 2+1 family, we will pay 50 zloty, and a 2+2 family will pay 58 zloty.

Although it comes out more expensive than the Knowledge Mill in Torun, which we described, it’s still money well spent if you look at other attractions on the Baltic Sea (comparing, among others. to the Aquarium in Gdynia or the Ocean Park in Władysławowo). Entrance is unlimited in time and you can quietly spend a whole day here.

You can buy tickets online on the Experiment website, but not for the same day. So if you know exactly when you want to go then it is worth using this option. This will probably help to bypass the long queues that have discouraged more than a few people from entering.

What’s inside?

Inside, there are plenty of interesting expositions, experiences, fun, and most of all, science!

Passing through the gates, we find ourselves in a space filled to the brim with attractions, interactive booths, experiments and fun. There are attractions for young and old.

Here we can find stands with various optical illusions, try our hand at producing muscle-powered energy, play in water and sand, ride slides (okay, that’s for the younger ones ;-)), lie on a fakir bed full of nails, gain knowledge about physics, nature, the human body, among other things, and even find a special 8-meter wall here where we can create a Goldberg Machine

The attention is particularly drawn to the suspended Mini Cooper, unfortunately, during our visit the experiment with it was off and we could not see if we could lift it with one hand.

For the youngest there is a special, fenced-off corner where they can play under the watchful eye of adults. It’s a tiny place, but it’s good that something like this is here at all.

Before visiting, it’s worth taking a look at the website to see what additional activities or events are taking place at the Experiment (e.g., the Aerospace space workshop takes place during the vacations). During our visit, you could try your hand in front of the camera.

Order or chaos?

What we liked less, however, was the fact that everything is located in one large room. Even though you can see that some attractions are separated from others, the impression of slight chaos and disorder remains.

In the already cited Knowledge Mill in Torun we have everything divided thematically, on different floors, while here everything is accumulated in one space and quite tightly. One even gets the feeling that one doesn’t know where one exhibit or experience ends and another begins. And even though the exhibits are seemingly thematically next to each other, for someone who enters here for the first time and tries to “embrace” this large space, it can completely escape the radar.

In addition, it is quite noisy and crowded, and such conditions are only conducive to losing sight of the child, even more so when he flies to some experiment spotted from afar.

Our opinion about Experiment Science Center in Gdynia

Despite this downside described above and the checkout queues, the impression remains positive. Although we delayed this visit for a long time, we hit a good time to already slowly, actively participate in experiencing the world and education.

There are many interesting exhibits here, temporary exhibitions are held, and time spent here is well invested.

However, if we had to choose between the Knowledge Mill in Torun and the Experiment in Gdynia, we would go to Torun sooner :)

Have you been to the Experiment in Gdynia yet? How are your impressions?

Here you will find the location of the Experiment Science Center (map):

We also recommend our post about EC1 in Lodz and the EC1 Science and Technology Center located there.