Scitech — Attraction in West Perth

Make no mistake, this is a creche. You can try to call it whatever you want, but there is no science being taught here. All it is, is simply a creche. And for the record, we didn't attend this during their toddler event. I should have realized it wasn't going to be anything special when we arrived to it and saw that it was in a mall, and the sign for it was smaller than the sign for the department store in the same mall.

This is a glorified office space with some sparsely placed ancient pieces of equipment, half of which don't even work. This is a disgraceful place and calling it a science centre or science museum is very much a misnomer.

This is just a place for exasperated parents to take their kids for a couple of hours out of the heat or bad weather and let them run loose around the space bashing buttons, kicking things, climbing on equipment, etc.

We thoroughly enjoy going to science museums and science centres regularly. And whenever we visit a new city we always search out these types of venues because we're just science nerds at heart. We were so looking forward to this and we were thoroughly let down.

The thing I'm most annoyed by, was that when we arrived we specifically asked the member of staff on the cash desk, if there were things to take part in as adults since we don't have kids. She was so enthusiastic about what there was there, she said "oh my goodness, yes, absolutely, there are so many activities to take part in". On paper, it all looked good, until we walked in.

Immediately, we realized that this was nothing like any science centre we had ever been to - anywhere in the world. It took about 30 seconds to walk from the main entrance to the back of the hall. The exhibition halls were smaller than my 1 bed flat. It literally took us 20 min to get through the entire thing, and that was including taking a toilet break.

I'm annoyed that she told us this wasn't a venue just for kids - because it very much is ONLY for kids. I'm annoyed that I couldn't find that same employee when we were leaving to ask her for a refund because we were flatly lied to. But most of all, I"m annoyed that this venue advertises itself as something special and a great place for learning about STEM. As a scientist, I find this laughable.

Don't be fooled by the advertising. This is - as I mentioned - a creche. You couldn't even take kids over the age of about 7 here. There's nothing for them here. This is a space for little toddlers to have some running around time. Full stop. That's it.

I have no photos to add to this review because you'd mistake them for photos of a creche or school. Don't bother with this place - you'll only be disappointed and you'll wish you still had the $24 in your pocket.

EDIT: The response from Scitech to this review is a template response they’ve been giving for years. Look back at all the negative reviews and you’ll see it’s the same one. There’s no excuse for how bad...

For years, glimpses of Scitech's signage during visits to Harvey Norman sparked curiosity, hinting at an enthralling journey into the wonders of science awaiting us. The day we finally decided to bring our son there, we were buoyed by expectations of an enlightening adventure. Yet, what we encountered upon entry was a stark departure from the vibrant exploration we had imagined.

Instead of a dynamic sanctuary of scientific discovery, Scitech presented itself as little more than an office floor masquerading as a science center. The exhibits, sparsely laid out across the space, seemed to echo the austerity of a city battling social and economic challenges, barely managing to offer drips and drabs of educational content. This setup, rather than captivating, fostered a disheartening atmosphere, stripping away any semblance of enthusiasm or engagement we had upon arrival. The center's ambiance, devoid of creativity or excitement, felt reflective of a community scraping by, struggling to provide even the most basic of cultural or educational experiences.

Compounding this dismal experience was the center's canteen, which felt like a relic from a bygone era, offering food that seemed out of place and time, further emphasizing the neglected and outdated feel of the entire establishment.

Considering Perth's ambitions on the global stage and its claims to significance, it is both shocking and disheartening to find Scitech in such a state. The center is in dire need of an extensive revamp, not just in modernizing its scientific displays to mirror the advancements of our times, but in overhauling the entire visitor experience to offer something genuinely engaging and enriching. As it stands, Scitech risks reinforcing stereotypes of neglect, rather than breaking them by being an emblem of inspiration and...

Haven't been to Scitech since MY girls were small and had fond memories of returning to an exciting , bright and fun filled place to enjoy with my now 9 year old Grand daughter.

However what a HUGE let down.

Three words to describe the place, Dirty, damaged and disappointing. I totally respect that having hundreds of kids firing through the place all weekend would make it a challenge to maintain some kind of cleanliness BUT, dirty floors, grotty equipment with surfaces that looked like they hadn't seen a wipe for decades, the whole place felt like a giant moving petri dish of covid encrusted grot.

My grand daughter has autism and is very 'play specific' the one thing she loved was the 'spinning chair, despite the seat being torn. The other item she wanted to try was the 'scaffolding' with turning wheels, however the one she was spinning did nothing and underneath was a ladder! Obviously still awaiting repair.

Having enjoyed so many beautiful open spaces, parks and free activities such as the museum, art gallery and so on, I found the cost was not worthy of what was on offer.

The place was very busy and with such numbers one would assume the place is not lacking funds.

Its time the whole place had an over haul from the dark and old settings to something bright and more in keeping with todays interests.

Im sorry this is not a positive review but hopefully I have highlighted our experience from the perspective of a visitor who expected something fun and left in a very short time, ( 20-30 minutes) feeling a lot more needs to be done to create a brighter and more interesting venue for children of...