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Science Zone primarily offers science based workshops to older children, but there are also sensory rooms and a dinosaur den in the basement for younger children. On our recent visit, we were unimpressed due to the poor state of the equipment (and the smell of damp) and I considered removing Science Zone from my list. I have left it here for the purpose of informing rather than inspiring a visit.

How to get to Science Zone

Science Zone is in the Royal Arcade in Boscombe, a mile east of Bournemouth along the A35. It’s easy to spot, as there is a dinosaur outside.

By Bus

Buses No m2, 1a/1b/1c and X3 stop at Palmerston Road, just a 1 minute walk away.

Parking

The nearest car park is in the Sovereign Centre, where parking costs £1.40 for an hour or £1.90 for 2 hours (spend £10 in Lidl to get most of this back).

Access

The baby/toddler area is in the basement down a dark, extremely narrow staircase. Orla was too scared to walk down and I found it difficult to carry her due to the narrowness of the staircase. There is a banister, but this only goes part way down.

Opening Times

Science Zone is only open on Saturdays during term time. It opens daily except Sunday during school holidays. Hours are from 10.30 am until 4 pm.

Price

Entry to the basement costs £2 per person or £6 for a family of four.

Suitable for age

The basement area is advertised as being suitable for children up to the age of 6. However, I would say that is more suited for younger children.

For older children, the centre runs workshops on topics such as coding, Lego Robotics and Artificial Intelligence plus a Planetarium show.

Details

The basement consists of a series of rooms offering sensory activities as well as dinosaur models.

The largest room in the basement offers an illuminated play mat, a tray full of toy dinosaurs, colouring worksheets and a dinosaur fossil hunt.

On our first visit, Orla particularly loved the interactive lights on the play mat and trying to teach a dinosaur to play catch.

Recently, the activities have been moved onto the mat, so playing on it is no longer really possible.

Sensory Rooms

A Sensory Room contained a row of tubes of bubbling liquid. There is a remote control unit and children can press the coloured buttons to change the colour of the liquid. Orla was fascinated on our first visit. Recently, most of the buttons no longer work and not all the tubes still change colour.

Another sensory room had some more button pressing activities, most of which were broken on both our visits, 9 months apart. So I think it’s safe to assume that maintenance is not a priority.

Dinosaur Den

In the Dinosaur Den there are dinosaur models, a life-size skeleton of a Deinonychus, dinosaur eggs and dinosaur fossils. Orla was a little intimidated by the models, but loved the fossil dig, where children can brush away the sand to reveal the fossil beneath.

Food & Drink

No food or drink is allowed in the basement. There are a couple of cafes in the Royal Arcade and several more in the neighbouring Sovereign Centre. We spent £10 in Lidl to get our parking refunded and had a picnic on a bench in the arcade.

The Science Zone could do with some maintenance. Several of the sensory activities didn’t work, the colouring table consisted of mainly broken pencils and dry felt tips, etc. Nevertheless, it’s a novel attraction and we enjoyed our first visit. Second time around, 2 year old Orla became bored very quickly and we were only there about 20 minutes.

Toilets/Changing Facilities

There are no toilets in the Science Zone. The nearest toilets, which also have a baby changing room, are in the Sovereign Centre, which is next door to the Arcade.

• Updated: August 2025

For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.