Shanghai Science and Technology Museum — Attraction in Shanghai

This is a place full of memories for me. As a shanghainese I grew up with this meseum. But recently I went there back again and felt very disappointed. I love here still. But I will NOT recommend it to anyone. Not anymore and here's why. The shows had not been changed ever since I last visited(when I was a primary school student. And I am a university student now) . As a museum for technology this means the shows are old fashioned. The cinemas were once cool. But due to poor maintenance all of them has dirty screens and dirty seats. For the 4d imax cinema, the paper towels for cleaning 3d glasses are dried out. There used to be good documentaries, but now they are showing more cartoons made of 3d. The space movie is still a documentary but it was an old one. I watched it when primary school. The robot shows... They are great I mean. Just not the best robots anymore. Fanuc is doing great and the most robots I used to see are still there. But they are not upgrading any of them. The chess player is still popular. But they are the only ones. Looking at the lonely pianist, he once was popular and everyone were looking and cheering for him. And no nobody is listening to him anymore, he is still playing, lonely. The robot show outside once had borrowed a Sony aibo. Now the aibos stopped production and resumed, but the museum stays still. The aibo improved and evolved, but the museum stays still. The staffs are terrible now (they were not before). Their faces looking at you makes you feel like you had killed their parents. The space is not really get used and much of the space are simply...

Great place for kids up to 10...lacking for older kids or adults. Overall this would be an enjoyable place for young children up to the age of 10 but older kids and adults will find it (very)dated and lacking in what could be a real science and technology museum. Many of the displays are hands on but the technology they demonstrate is a decade out of date.

PROs Multiple floors with each section dedicated to a specific area of science. Many displays are hands on or interactive. Price is 60RMB which is quite affordable for a day in the museum for children. Each section is laid out so as to enable groups to move through without overwhelming those who are not in a group. Right next to the metro/subway station, very convenient!

CONs Some of the technology being displayed is at least a decade behind the times seems more focused at young school age children. Compared to some similar themed museums in Europe or USA this is underwhelming. Lines can be long on weekend or summer so get there at opening Groups of schools children pack the museum shortly after opening and tend to take over display areas. Stand back, let them pass through(which they do quickly) and you have the area to yourself for a while.

I would encourage parents to take their young kids to see this museum but for teens or adults, skip this and go to the Shanghai...

The Shanghai Science & Technology Museum was grand in ambition, with its vast halls and futuristic façade, but the experience inside was uneven.

Exhibits ranged widely—from biology and space to robotics and ecosystems. Yet many displays felt dated, overly didactic, or designed more for spectacle than insight. Some interactive zones worked well for children, but for adults seeking depth, the engagement was thin. The abundance of exhibits often diluted their impact.

More is not necessarily better. Resources had clearly been poured into building and populating the museum, but without continuous renewal and sharper curation, much of it felt like a warehouse of science rather than a living laboratory. Crowds added to the sense of fatigue—dense, noisy, and often more distracting than enriching.

The architecture and sheer scale of the complex were impressive, projecting the image of a city invested in science and education. But inside, navigation felt cluttered, and the pacing lacked rhythm. Unlike smaller, focused museums, the Shanghai S&T Museum was a study in diffusion: too many exhibits, not enough coherence.

The Shanghai Science & Technology Museum was a place of promise that delivered only partially. Worth seeing once for its scope, but ultimately less engaging than it...