Hong Kong Science Museum

Template:Short description Template:Use Hong Kong English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox museum Template:Chinese The Hong Kong Science Museum is a public science museum in Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong, located next to the Hong Kong Museum of History.

History

The Hong Kong Science Museum was first conceived by the Urban Council in 1976.<ref name="opening">Template:Cite news</ref> The council hired American firm E. Verner Johnson and Associates in 1984 to help plan the museum.<ref name="wonder"/> Three more design firms were later engaged to work on the exhibits: West Office Design, Toshihiko Sakow Associates, and Levy Design.<ref name="discoveries">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1986, the council hired Hong Kong architecture firm Palmer and Turner to design the museum.<ref name="wonder">Template:Cite news</ref> It was built by Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited.

Construction began in March 1988 and was completed in November 1990.<ref name="wonder"/> The museum cost HK$340 million.<ref name="opening"/> It was officially opened by Governor David Wilson and Urban Council Chairman H.M.G. Forsgate on 18 April 1991.<ref name="opening"/>

In 2000, the Urban Council was disbanded, and management of the museum became the responsibility of the newly formed Leisure and Cultural Services Department.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Exhibits

The museum has Cathay Pacific's first DC-3 airliner suspended from the ceiling.

The most popular exhibition items for children are a computer area, a real (but stationary) car in which visitors can attempt to drive in a driving simulation while avoiding accidents, speeding, and excessive fuel usage, and a small life-sized stationary aircraft with a video of a flight around Hong Kong playing inside the cockpit. Refreshments are provided at a small cafe.

About 500 exhibits are displayed in the permanent exhibition area. The most prominent exhibit is the 22-metre-high twin-tower Energy Machine which is the largest of its kind in the world. A total of 18 galleries cover a wide range of science and technology topics including light, sound, motion, electricity and magnetism, mathematics, life science, geography, meteorology, computer, transportation, communication, food science, energy/energy conservation and home technology. About 80 per cent of the exhibits are participatory so that visitors may learn through direct involvement.

The museum staff also performs live demonstrations daily, many of which are designed for younger visitors.

List of Galleries

Ground Floor

Biodiversity Gallery

Opened in 2016, this gallery explores the flora and fauna that exist in different habitats as well as locally in Hong Kong. Visitors can also learn about genetics, evolution and microscopy.

On certain dates, 30-minute talks known as Biodiversity Workshops are delivered in the Nature Lab of this gallery.

Paleontology Gallery

This gallery opened in 2023 as part of the museum's permanent exhibition renewal project and is also known as Extinction · Resilience. Around 80 to 100 fossils and replicas are housed in this gallery, with the main highlight being an almost complete Deinonychus fossil. Visitors can also view and interact with two dinosaur animatronics (a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Velociraptor).

Jockey Club Environmental Conservation Gallery

A gallery consisting of interactive exhibits and games related to the causes of climate change and what humans can do to save the planet.

World of Mirrors

A house of mirrors. Visitors can view and interact with mirrors to create interesting reflections.

Light

A colorful gallery in which visitors are encouraged to explore the phenomena of light and colors through interactive exhibits.

Mathematics

This gallery consists of multiple tables with brain teasers produced by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Sound and Motion Hall

Visitors can investigate the properties of sound and how objects move through interactive exhibits.

Second Floor

As of June 2025, the second floor is under renovation due to the permanent exhibition renewal project.

Former galleries

As of June 2025, these galleries have either been replaced or are temporarily made unavailable due to the museum's permanent exhibition renewal project.

Transportation

The museum is within walking distance of Hung Hom station and East Tsim Sha Tsui station of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR).

Future

In late 2023, the Hong Kong government proposed to move the science museum to Sha Tin and use the site in Tsim Sha Tsui for a new museum that will promote the "development and achievements of China". The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau proposed that the new museum would improve teenagers' understanding of China by showcasing Chinese history, the Chinese Communist Party, "the establishment of the new China", Chinese economic reform, and national achievements.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• Hong Kong Science Park
• Hong Kong Space Museum
• List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
• List of museums in Hong Kong

External links

• Template:Official website