What is Scienceworks in Melbourne?
Scienceworks is an interactive science and technology museum in Spotswood, Melbourne. Run by Museums Victoria, it is known for hands-on exhibits, a planetarium and a historic pumping station.
Scienceworks opened in 1992 on the site of the Spotswood Pumping Station, a heritage-listed sewage pumping station built in the 1890s. Visitors can tour the restored steam engines that once pumped Melbourne's sewage.
Its galleries let visitors explore sport science, energy, the human body and how things work through games and experiments.
Planetarium and Lightning Room
The Melbourne Planetarium, inside Scienceworks, shows films and live presentations about space under a large domed screen.
The Lightning Room shows dramatic electrical displays using a huge Tesla coil.
Scienceworks is a favourite destination for school excursions and families, with programs linked to the school science curriculum and special events during school holidays. Its outdoor areas include exhibits about water and energy.
The museum is in Melbourne's inner west, close to Spotswood train station and the Yarra River. Entry is free for children, and the museum offers a cafe and picnic areas.
Did You Know?
Spotswood Pumping Station helped give Melbourne one of the world's earliest modern sewerage systems in the 1890s.