Things To Do

Science Oxford Centre

Douglas Downes Close, Quarry Road, Headington, Oxford, OX3 8SB, GB

Rating: 4.8 ★ (205 ratings)

Details

Science Oxford Centre is a leading science discovery and education facility located in Headington, Oxford, and stands out as the UK's first indoor-outdoor primary science education centre. It offers a wonderfully interactive and engaging atmosphere for visitors, set amidst 15 acres of natural woodland and ponds. The centre provides a unique environment for children and families to explore scientific principles through hands-on discovery and creative experimentation.

Visitors can immerse themselves in the Exploration Zone, featuring a wide array of interactive exhibits such as an Air Table for flight experiments, a giant magnetic ball run, and a Curious Camera for thermal investigations. Beyond the indoor displays, guests can follow nature trails through the expansive woodland, equipped with Explorer Backpacks to aid wildlife spotting. Seasonal highlights include an outdoor Water Lab for playful experimentation with water flow from April to October, and a Live Lab offering engaging pop-up activities like strawberry DNA extraction during the colder months. Monthly Planetarium Shows in an inflatable dome further enhance the visitor experience.

The centre is particularly well-suited for families with children, offering stimulating Family Days every Saturday for public visits. Schools and community groups are also welcomed for educational programmes during term time, with a variety of workshops and shows designed to align with curriculum learning. Regular STEM Clubs, including Nature Club and Science Club, are available for young people aged 5-14, ensuring an inspiring and educational visit for budding scientists and curious minds of all ages.

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Location

Opening Hours

Monday: Closed; Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday: Closed; Thursday: Closed; Friday: Closed; Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Sunday: Closed

Contact

+44 1865 810000

Comments

Sarah Shammas
15 Aug 2026
5.0 ★
Kids had a fantastic time at the Saturday family day, and so did the parents! We had 2 hours in the main room, playing and experimenting with lots of different activities. After that the children enjoyed the water area so much it was hard to get them to leave for the forest walk. There is a small café but you can also bring your own food. There are allergens listed. We have coeliac disease and managed to find one ice cream that was gluten free to eat. There are plenty of staff there, all of whom seemed kind, and one spent some time playing with my son balancing things on a spinning wheel. It is excellent value for fun for the whole family. We will definitely go again. Pre booking online is essential.
Stephen Harness
21 Mar 2026
4.0 ★
The Science Centre families days are a fun indoor activity for kids. There’s easily an hour of interactive learning equipment for the kids to play with and normally a coached science experiment. The pricing needs more work to reflect the aims of the original donor of the land - to ensure less well off families aren’t excluded. The centre makes a lot of also getting access to the park. When in fact the park was gifted for the people of Oxford, so it’s a bit regrettable it’s now hidden behind a paywall that doesn’t encourage informal access. But clearly the trust is working hard to improve its biodiversity.
Access arrangements encourage visiting by car. Little consideration seems to have been given to promoting safe, easy and direct cycle and pedestrian access. So, that somewhat undermines the increasingly intensive development of the site with new “green badged” buildings, that come across as greenwashing. That’s a shame as clearly the facilities for promoting small science startups is great, but I couldn’t help wondering if this was the right location given the above lack of truly sustainable planning.
Alexandra-Gabriela Comandasu
7 Mar 2026
5.0 ★
Very interesting and interactive. A lot of children activities and so accessible. Highly recommend.
Dina Sikorska
7 Mar 2026
5.0 ★
Our family visit to the Oxford Science Centre was an absolute blast! This place is a treasure trove of hands-on learning and excitement for all ages. The interactive exhibits, engaging demonstrations, and diverse range of scientific experiments made learning incredibly fun and accessible. Our daughter was enthralled by the various activities and interactive displays, sparking her curiosity and love for science. The staff's enthusiasm and knowledge added another layer of enjoyment, making the experience both educational and entertaining. Whether it was exploring the wonders of physics, chemistry, or biology, there was something captivating for everyone. A fantastic place for families to bond, learn, and have a blast together!
Caz Wales
28 Feb 2026
4.0 ★
We took our 5 and 9 year olds and they had a brilliant time. The 2 hour time allocation to explore inside was great. Despite the session being full it did not feel crowded and it was easy to move between activities. The girls were happily entertained for 2 hours. The staff was also really welcoming, friendly and informative and helped make the most of the visit. We then finished or visit with a walk through the woodland. The adventure rucksacks the children get to take around the woodland is a great idea and the girls enjoyed using the contents inside to explore the woodland. Our only minor disappointment was no gluten free options which was a necessity for us (other than a rice cake and a piece of fruit). However, had we known we would have brought our own food. We will 100% be back! Thank you.
Adam S
24 Feb 2026
5.0 ★
Kids had a blast, staff are lovely, interactive exhibits enthralled a 4 and 5 year old for two hours. Woodland area is stunning. Look forward to returning.
Lucy Whitehead
6 Feb 2026
5.0 ★
We had a wonderful day here last Saturday. It’s advised to buy tickets if you want to enter the exploration zone but there is also a lot to do for free. There is space inside and outside to eat your own food (always grateful for this!). The centre itself is very welcoming, clean and very child friendly. Would thoroughly recommend for ages three upwards.
Rimini
5 Feb 2026
5.0 ★
Really enjoyed the family day, lots to keep little ones (and bigger ones!) entertained. Good food selection at the cafe, you can't bring food & drink inside the experiment zone. There's lockers to store your things safely. Lovely ending walking around the woodlands. We spent 3hrs here with 2 toddlers.
Martyn Williams
8 Nov 2025
5.0 ★
Such a shame it's only open to public one day a week!!!

Great activity room that keeps the kids (and grown ups) amused and fascinated in various activities.

Outside trail is great fun and they provide a backpack with items like binoculars and bug catchers and tick lists.

There is also an on-site cafe that does great fresh cakes and coffee.

Ample parking and it's secluded away nicely from the bustle of Oxford.
Lisa Milligan
4 Nov 2025
5.0 ★
This place is brilliant for children and adults! Spent almost the whole day here. With a 7 and 4 yr old. The acticvities in the sciemce zone kept them busy for hours. Cam take your own food which is great but also a cafe on site. Great forest area to run around and a water game outside to play with. Overall great value for money. Booking advised.

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