Science centers can be hit and miss for me. It's not that I don't think they're cool--they are--but a lot of the things can be interactive, and often little children are hoarding the cool things, and I don't really feel it's my place to push my way in (especially in a foreign language). Additionally, when I do get a chance at something, I feel like I am depriving children so I tend to not be as enthusiastic as I might.
So when we decided to go to the Universeum, but this time with my niece and nephews in tow, I was excited! And it turned out not to disappoint.
We visited on a Thursday, arriving in the afternoon. This was the right amount of time for the kids (and since my brother and his family have an annual membership, they can go back) but for visitors in town, I would suggest either making a whole day of it or buying the two-day pass. Either way, the afternoon was a good choice because it was not so crowded.
After waiting a bit for a spot in the adjacent lot, we started on the top floor, exploring the water way from streams to rivers to the sea. In some of the tanks, there were scuba divers cleaning the windows, which was fun to watch. We also stopped off for some glögg that they were giving away for free.
After the ray pool and the tank with sharks (and a swordfish!) we took a break to eat some snacks we had brought with us, though there are also cafes on-site. Next were the snakes and bugs, after which we decided to head into the tropical rainforest. Lots of animals roam freely here, so we got an up-close look at birds, although the monkeys had already retired for the day.
Continuing on, we spent some time in the superhero exhibit, then ended our day at the brain exhibit. This is where time ran out, and I would have liked to have seen more, although we did experience quite a lot.
All in all, I had a great time. Visiting with kids can be fun but even on your own, it has the right amount of adult-friendly exhibits to make it interesting for just about anyone. read more