The planetarium
The largest planetarium in northern England, included in the ticket but with limited seats, so book a slot as soon as you enter.
Behind the wall where your children are poking a model of a human cell, real geneticists and NHS fertility labs are at work. That was the whole idea of the 'science village' Queen Elizabeth II opened on Times Square in 2000, hard against the side of Newcastle Central Station: research and the public under one roof, with the ticketed centre as the public face of it all. Inside, everything is built for hands rather than eyes. The Wow Zone is a hall of things to push, pull and shout into; in the Experiment Zone (ages seven and up) children extract DNA and run real experiments with real lab kit; there is a Brain Zone of optical illusions, a Space Zone, the Making Studios for crafty projects, the largest planetarium in the North of England, and live shows in the Science Theatre led by presenters who know how to hold a room of eight-year-olds. All of it is included in the admission price, there is no time limit on a visit and you can come and go on the same ticket. Under-sevens get a big separate Play Zone, pushchairs roll through easily, and there is a free packed-lunch area, a small mercy for families who would rather eat what they brought. Be honest with yourself about who this is for: families with children aged roughly four to twelve, who will be in heaven. Adults without children will find it light and may be done within the hour; the planetarium alone does not justify the ticket. Note too that a child pays the same as an adult from age three: £15 for the standard ticket, which includes a ten per cent donation, or £13.60 if you opt out of it, with under-threes free, so a family of five is looking at close to £75. The headline exhibition changes roughly yearly; the animatronic dinosaurs of The Great Dinosaur Escape, which opened in March 2026, have been extended to 3 January 2027, and the next one is announced on the website. Timing is the real trap. On term-time weekdays the centre shuts at 15:00 Monday to Friday, with last entry recommended by 13:00, so anyone arriving after lunch is turned out before they have started; weekends run to 17:00, school-holiday hours are usually longer too but check the website, and the whole place usually closes for a maintenance fortnight in January. Book timed entry online for July, August and any weekend (a few afternoon slots are kept for walk-ups, but do not count on them), and check the planetarium and show schedule as soon as you are in, because seats are limited. From early November to the first days of January an ice rink goes up on the square outside, ticketed separately, and it is an excellent answer to a wet, dark northern week.
The largest planetarium in northern England, included in the ticket but with limited seats, so book a slot as soon as you enter.
Children aged seven and up extract DNA with real lab equipment while actual geneticists work in the same building.
From early November to the first days of January an ice rink fills the square outside, ticketed separately and ideal for a rainy day.
Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP
Honestly, no. It is designed for children aged roughly four to twelve, and an adult on their own will be through it in under an hour. Spend the £15 on Newcastle Castle or the train to Durham instead.
Plan on two to three hours including a planetarium show and a live show in the Science Theatre. But beware: on term-time weekdays the centre closes at 15:00, so an afternoon visit only works at weekends, when it stays open until 17:00, or in school holidays once you have checked the hours.