Rainy-Day Shanghai: Science, Space and Children
Shanghai's science museum and planetarium are among the best of their kind anywhere, and autumn's wet days are the natural time to use them. Planned well, one can hold a family for a full day without a queue.
By Shanghai Welcome ·
The city's answer to a wet day
Shanghai's autumn is mostly mild, but it does rain, and when it does the city has an unusually good answer. The science museum in Pudong is large, current and genuinely hands-on, and the planetarium beside it — one of the biggest in the world — is worth the trip on its own. Together they hold a family for a full day.
They also solve a specific problem: the sightseeing that works for adults often asks too much of children, and the attractions built for children often ask too much of adults. These two do neither, which makes them the rare stop that genuinely suits everyone.
- •A large, current, hands-on science museum in Pudong
- •One of the world's largest planetariums beside it
- •A full day that suits adults and children equally
- •The city's best answer to a wet autumn day
How to plan the day
Both require advance reservation, and the planetarium's shows sell out first — book the show time before anything else and build the day around it. Arrive at opening, take the museum's interactive halls while they are quiet, break for lunch, and give the afternoon to the planetarium.
The buildings are a walk apart, and with children that walk is longer than it looks. A private vehicle makes the two stops continuous rather than two separate expeditions, and a guide can handle the ticketing and the timing, which is where these days usually go wrong.
- •Reserve the planetarium show first, build around it
- •Interactive halls are quietest at opening
- •The two buildings are further apart than they look
- •Private vehicle makes it one day, not two trips
Keep the future thread going: your private guide pairs the museum district with Lujiazui's towers, riverfront and Shanghai's technology and design quarters. All-inclusive private vehicle, guide, admissions and bottled water.
Explore Shanghai Modern & Future Tour →Beyond the two
If the rain clears, the same district offers riverside parkland and one of the city's better modern art museums within a short drive. If it does not, the natural history collections and the children's galleries will absorb the remainder of the day.
The useful thing about this corner of Shanghai is that it is self-contained. Everything is close, everything is indoors, and none of it depends on the weather — which in an Shanghai autumn is worth planning for in advance.
- •Riverside parkland and modern art within a short drive
- •Natural history and children's galleries if the rain holds
- •A self-contained, weatherproof corner of the city
- •Close together — no long transfers
Frequently asked questions
Do these need advance booking?
Yes. Both require reservation, and the planetarium's show times sell out first — secure the show before planning the rest of the day.
How long should a family allow?
A full day for both, comfortably. Half a day each if you only want one.
Is it suitable for younger children?
Yes. The museum's interactive halls and children's galleries are designed for them, and the planetarium's shows hold attention at most ages.
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