The Shanghai Astronomy Museum, located by the Lingang Dishui Lake, officially opened to the public on July 18, 2021. The museum covers an area of 38,000 square meters. The main building, with its elegant spiral form, mimics the orbits of celestial bodies. The round skylight, inverted dome, and dome theater form the iconic ‘Three Bodies’ structure, jointly interpreting the laws of celestial motion.
With the vision of ‘Shaping a Complete Cosmological View,’ the main exhibition areas are divided into ‘Home,’ ‘Universe,’ and ‘Journey,’ stimulating people’s curiosity and encouraging them to feel the starry sky and understand the universe. The opening of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum marks a new stage in the development of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, which integrates the Science and Technology Museum, Natural History Museum, and Astronomy Museum into a super large-scale comprehensive science and technology museum complex. It will further highlight the soft power of Shanghai city, promote the high-quality development of the museum industry in the new era, and better meet the growing spiritual and cultural life needs of the people.
Home is located on the 1st floor. In the boundless universe, we reside in a corner, building a warm home on a blue marble. As our horizons continue to expand, we realize that the solar system and the Milky Way are also our homes, nurturing us. Visitors enter the ‘Home’ exhibition area, following ancient myths to start a journey of questioning the sky, placing themselves under lifelike stars, and traveling among planets. Facing the diverse planets of the solar system, we can’t help but wonder: Is there water on other planets? Are there lasers? Volcanoes? Did meteorites bring life? Who are the neighbors of the sun? Where exactly are we in the universe?
Universe is located on the 2nd floor. The word ‘universe’ always evokes people’s boundless reverie, endless void, romantic galaxies, mysterious black holes, as if gazing itself is eternity. The ‘Universe’ exhibition area consists of five thematic areas: ‘Spacetime,’ ‘Gravity,’ ‘Light,’ ‘Elements,’ and ‘Life,’ showcasing the laws of the universe from different perspectives and addressing the core and cutting-edge concepts of modern astronomy. Here, you will face-to-face with masters, embrace the shining wisdom in the history of human astronomy, and explore the mysteries of astronomy deep in the starry sky from multiple angles and disciplines.
Journey is located on the 2nd floor. As the name suggests, the ‘Journey’ exhibition area panoramically displays the long journey of human exploration of the mysteries of the universe, from ancient thoughts to modern astronomical revolutions, astronomical observatories and research programs around the world today, various astronomical satellites, and our Chinese own Chang’e lunar exploration, space laboratories, and Mars exploration programs. This area will rely more on scientific stories and future imaginations to stimulate visitors’ understanding of scientific exploration methods and spirit, as well as deeper cultural thinking.
Zhonghua Wentian is located on the 1st floor of Zhonghua Astronomy, where thousands of years of diligent observation have produced an immense record of celestial phenomena. The unique Eastern thinking has created a distinctive astronomical system that closely links celestial events with the fate of the empire, as well as a complex calendar system that is orderly inherited and continuously improved. With the collision of Western learning and Eastern influence, the continuously introduced scientific knowledge eventually changed the form and function of traditional astronomy, making Shanghai the starting point of modern astronomy in China.
Mars Navigation is located on the 1st floor. Please note that the spacecraft has received a red command from the command center. A serious malfunction has occurred inside the No. 03 base stationed on Mars. We are one of the nearest spacecraft, and all non-essential crew members have been temporarily organized into a special rescue team to execute a rescue mission on Mars. Please wear your identity bracelets and go to the spacecraft dock to listen to the mission briefing. Curious Planet is located at B1 Aiven and UU. Two happy little friends, they will accompany children to ride a rocket into two mysterious planets – Flower King Star and Ice Mars. The flowers there are so huge, the plants are so strange, and the volcanoes there actually spit out ice blocks! What are you waiting for? Come in and explore now, you might even encounter aliens! Opening Hours: 01/01-09/15 Mondays are not open all day; 09/17-12/31 Mondays are not open all day; 01/01-09/15 Tuesdays-Sundays 09:30-16:00 open; 09/17-12/31 Tuesdays-Sundays 09:30-16:00 open; New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, National Day 09:30-16:00 open; 09/16 not open all day. Preferential Policies: Children: Under 1.3 meters (inclusive) or under 6 years old (inclusive), must be accompanied by a ticket-holding guardian to enter the museum for free. Elderly: Over 70 years old (inclusive), with valid identification, free; 60 years old (inclusive) – 70 years old (not inclusive) with an elderly card or ID, discounted. Retired Cadres: Retired cadres, with valid identification, free. Military personnel: Active military personnel, with valid identification, free. Three Family Members: Survivors of martyrs, survivors of military personnel who died in service, and survivors of military personnel who died of illness, with valid identification, free. Disabled persons: With a disability certificate, free. Firefighters: On-duty, retired, disabled firefighters (including government full-time firefighters) and students of fire rescue academies, national comprehensive fire rescue personnel, free. Students: Full-time primary, middle school, and college students, with a student ID, discounted. Police: On-duty public security police with a ‘People’s Police Certificate’ issued by public security organs, free. Military Civilian Personnel: On-duty military civilian personnel, with their own valid identification, discounted. Additional Notes: The above preferential policies only apply to the main entrance ticket. Theme activities please refer to the product disclosure; all visitors must book tickets in advance through the official platform (i.e., free persons do not exclude tickets); valid identification documents must be presented when checking tickets.Parking facilities: [Astronomy Museum Social Parking Lot] Reference price: 4 yuan/hour/vehicle; Address: Astronomy Museum Social Parking Lot; Number of parking spaces: 169 (including disabled parking spaces and ordinary parking spaces); Due to limited parking resources at the venue, it is recommended to travel in an environmentally friendly way. [Starry Sky Realm Park Parking Lot] Reference price: 4 yuan/hour/vehicle for small cars and 5 yuan/hour/vehicle for large cars; Address: Starry Sky Realm Park Parking Lot; Number of parking spaces: 106 for small cars and 7 for large cars; It is 0.8km away from the Shanghai Astronomy Museum and takes about 10 minutes on foot. [Shanghai High School Parking Lot] Reference price: free; Address: Shanghai High School Parking Lot; Number of parking spaces: about 130; It is 1km away from the Shanghai Astronomy Museum and takes about 10 minutes on foot. [Temporary parking spaces on Xueronghua Road Parking Lot] Reference price: 4 yuan/hour/vehicle for small cars and 5 yuan/hour/vehicle for large cars; Address: Temporary parking spaces on Xueronghua Road Parking Lot; Number of parking spaces: 850 for small cars and 30 for large cars; It is 1.2km away from the Shanghai Astronomy Museum and takes about 20 minutes on foot. Luggage storage: Reference price: free; Address: Tourist service center of the astronomy museum/storage lockers. Stroller rental: Reference price: free; Address: Tourist center. Wheelchair rental: Reference price: free; Address: Tourist service center of the astronomy museum. Must-see tips: On the day of visit, for audiences who need to enter and exit the venue multiple times, please enter your face information in advance when purchasing tickets as the only certificate for re-entering the venue. The maximum daily carrying capacity of the Shanghai Astronomy Museum is 7,000 people, and the instantaneous maximum carrying capacity is 3,000 people. If the total number of people purchasing tickets online on the same day (including free visits by appointment) reaches the limit of current carrying capacity, the museum will take measures to limit the flow. When the number reaches the maximum daily carrying capacity, the museum will close the ticketing channel. The museum has a green ticket inspection channel to provide fast entry services for people aged 70 (including) and above, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and military personnel. Children and audiences without independent behavior ability must be accompanied by ticket-purchasing guardians to enter the museum. Elderly people and those with limited mobility should enter the museum for a visit accompanied by relatives and friends who purchase tickets. One adult can bring two children. Food and beverages are not allowed to be brought into the cinema. To watch a movie, you must pick up the ticket in advance on the self-service ticket machine in the museum (only movie tickets for the same day can be picked up), and watch the movie with the ticket. During the visit, please visit civilizedly. Do not run, play or make loud noises in the museum. Let’s jointly create a quiet visiting environment. In case of emergencies, please follow the arrangements of on-site staff. Do not eat in the exhibition hall; For audiences who eat in the designated areas outside the exhibition hall, please jointly maintain the cleanliness of the venue and do a good job in garbage classification. According to the regulations of the Shanghai Public Places Smoking Control Ordinance, smoking is prohibited in the venue (including tobacco, e-cigarettes or other products that produce smoke).
