Technorama Science & Technology Museum

Technorama is a science discovery museum, with four floors of hands-on exhibits, fun and education for all ages. There are dozens of interactive activities for kids, ready to spark their imagination and creativity. It’s a perfect choice for cold, rainy days.

In general, kids can wander freely and experiment on their own. But very young children will need close supervision as some exhibits can be delicate. We like it so much that we had a season pass for many years.

Location

Technorama is located in Winterthur, northwest of Zürich.

Overview

Technorama has four floors full so many exhibits that it would be difficult to see everything in one day. I find it best to just wander, not try to check things off your list. Most exhibits have an information card in English (and German and French) to explain how the activity works and what you can learn from it.

Getting There

By car: take the A1 toward Winterthur, then take exit 72 and follow signs to Technorama, (Technoramastrasse 1, 8404 Winterthur, Switzerland). There is a large car park, with a second overflow lot if you drive past the first lot along the fence. Parking is free.

By transit: Take a train to Oberwinterthur. Then a short bus ride to Wintherthur, Technorama. Or it’s a 10 min walk from the train station to Technorama as shown below.

Ticket prices & opening times

In 2023, a day pass costs CHF 33/adult and CHF 21/child aged 6-15. Families and students get a discount of CHF 3 per person.

A year pass costs CHF 130 for 1 parent and all children under 18 or CHF 240 for 2 parents and their children. This could pay for itself it in three visits.

Technorama is open daily 10:00 – 17:00. The outdoor exhibits are open between Easter and end of October.

See current prices & opening times.

Where to eat

There is a self-service cafeteria with the predictable expensive fare: chicken nuggets, pizza, sandwiches, salad bar, pasta, sausage, ice cream, etc.

Happily, they also have an indoor picnic area where you can eat your own food. There are lockers to store your bags and food so you can fetch them later when you want to eat. 

When to go

Before my kids were in school, we loved to go on weekdays, especially in the mornings when it was really quiet. But even on holidays and weekends, when the parking lot is packed, there’s enough room to spread out inside that you won’t be waiting in long lines for most of the exhibits. The place can handle a lot of people.

Sample Exhibits

To give you a taste, here are a few of our favorites exhibits. Some are permanent and have been there for years. They always have at least one temporary exhibition that is only there for a few months. There seems to always be a few new things every time we go.

They have a bunch of gigantic elaborate wooden marble runs (aka “kugelbahnen”), where the ball rolls through holes, off drop-offs, around ledges, etc. When it’s busy, it can be hard to find a ball to play with.

We love this machine that spits little pieces of dry ice into a shallow pool. The ice spins around frantically, emitting smoke and creating cool designs.

Lots of puzzles to solve.

Giant bubble makers, which can get a little messy. We love this corner.

On the left, a flash burns your shadow into the phosphorescent wall. On the right, the machine predicts your jump length and takes pics of you doing it.

Infrared heat family portrait.

My kids can spend an hour at this one. You spin various rings and balls and a big rotating disk.

Another bubble machine, this one creating a whole bubble wall that you can blow into.

Outdoor exhibits

Technorama’s outdoor exhibits are open from Easter through end of October. They have lots of fun water activities and this wind tunnel that always makes everyone laugh.

Live Demonstrations

They have a couple demonstrations during the day, conducted in German, with explosions and other exciting science stuff. If your children are sensitive to loud noises (mine were when they were little), you might want to be in a different part of the center during the demonstrations. After the electricity demonstration, they let you try the static machine which will make your hair stand on end. You should definitely do it and take a pic!

Open lab

They have an open lab where you can do simple experiments in biology, chemistry and physics, with a staff member on hand to help you. This is free to use and you don’t have to book ahead. It’s particularly good for older children that like science.

When we were there, they had you compare different materials under a microscope including a scraping from your own tongue. The lab is a hidden corner on the first floor, the northeast side of the building. 

Workshops

They also have formal workshops with more involved demonstration and experimentation. These need to be booked when you arrive. The daily schedule is posted on a big board near the entrance. These last 45 mins and held in German (though the staff usually also speak English). More info about workshops.

Supervising little kids

I think Technorama is best for kids starting around 4, when they are old enough to explore a bit on their own and have an interest in trying things out, not just destroying. Most stations are hands on and can tolerate some abuse, but others are more delicate. So with very little kids, you should supervise them closely so they don’t break anything (my kids broke a prism one year, but the Technorama staff was really nice about it). 

This is not an indoor play hall like Kindercity or Trampolino, so expect to manage your children and keep a close eye on them (we’ve lost kids for a few scary minutes a couple times). But I don’t want to scare you off. I started going when my son was 2.5 years old and we had a lot of fun. But it was much more fun the older he got.