We The Curious Science Centre

A trip to We The Curious is set to inspire and delight school groups of all ages. There is a strong emphasis on play, visitor led experiential learning and on building confidence to ask questions and explore ideas. We offer over 200 interactive exhibits over two floors, including in our new experience ‘Project What If’, a stunning 3D Planetarium (the UK’s first!) and a programme of innovative workshops, theme days and science shows.

Science centre Bristol
Special educational needs Bristol

We are high on fun and high on learning! Science is all about understanding the world and – in addition to our two floors of interactive exhibits – our workshops and theme days are designed to combine direct experience with developing a deeper learning: supporting and complementing the curriculum to build the enthusiasm and confidence that enables students to succeed. They take place in our dedicated learning rooms and labs, and offer experiences that can’t easily be achieved in school or at home. We are conveniently placed in the heart of Bristol – easy to reach, and within the attractive and historic harbourside area.

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An educational visit offers unlimited access to two exhibition floors.  On the ground floor, students can delve into some of life’s big mysteries in new experience Project What If. Inspired by questions collected from the people of Bristol, 69 exhibits and art works cover the topics of time, illness, the soul, invisibility, universe, rainbows and sand in unexpected ways. The seven clusters of exhibits, which were created in collaboration with the question askers, bring together science and art and many different voices.

Upstairs, using the hands on exhibit collection, students can create their own animations, investigate light and sound, be amazed at the workings of the human body, make giant bubbles and produce their own piece of music. Not to be missed is a journey into the unknown in one of the 2D or 3D Planetarium shows. Stunning visuals and compelling stories will excite interest in all things space related.

The centre has a dedicated education suite with learning rooms, fully equipped laboratories, and custom-made resources. Workshops and shows for all ages and key stages, including Early Years and post-16, can be added to your trip. Led by experienced presenters, these are designed to bring the curriculum to life and are the perfect way to inspire curiosity in a new topic, embed previous learning or to experience science in a lab for the first time. 

Contact the education team for details of the special package deal and advice on which shows, workshops or theme days might best suit your learning objectives.

Minimum in Group: 12                   Maximum in Group: 250

All educators are entitled to a free teacher planning visit (with appropriate ID) to find out more about the venue or do a detailed risk assessment. Information packs are provided on arrival.

Schools are very welcome to take photos of their students in our spaces, in accordance with their own photography policies and parental permissions. It’s great to see pictures of students enjoying their visits so do tag us in!

For anything on a larger scale and that will involve people beyond your own group, we need to hear about in advance. That’s so that we can inform our staff who can then make our visitors aware that photography is happening and that they have the choice to opt out.

All teachers are entitled to a free planning visit to We The Curious to help with their own risk assessments. Since these are specific to each school group, we are not able to offer a standard risk assessment, though our More Information sheets for each activity detail what students will be doing and provide an additional potential hazards section. A map of the venue is available to be downloaded and can be used to plan and can be shared with colleagues prior to a visit.

Our wonderful bookings team are available to provide expert and dedicated support and advice – see contact details above.

Please see our website or contact us for the latest pricing information.

No special clothing is required for the trip.

We always have qualified first-aiders on site, and have a dedicated first aid room within the venue.

Shop; canteen; disabled toilets; first aid room; bookable picnic area; allocated lunch areas for all schools; crates for bag storage for all schools; coach drop-off area; ample outdoor lunch area in adjacent Millennium Square (weather permitting). The shop has a range of items to suit all budgets.

The venue is fully accessible to disabled visitors – including our workshops, laboratories, shows and theme days.

Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm during term-time. Open daily during Bristol school ho