CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED
Science & Discovery Centres in Derby
Science & Discovery Centres in Derby: every place written up honestly, with the details parents actually need.
9 places 4 free to visit
FreeAbbey Pumping Station
Leicester
Industrial museum with beam engines and vintage vehicles - free entry, but only open on holiday Mondays and special event days.
ToiletsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor playPicnic area+3 more
from £7.25Conkers Discovery Centre
Moira · ages 3+
A big woodland day out with rope trails, a splash park, a barefoot walk and an indoor play house for the rainy bits.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBirthday partiesBooking required+15 more
FreeGreen's Windmill & Science Centre
Nottingham · ages 0+
Free-entry restored windmill, science centre and garden in Nottingham, climb the mill (when not under repair), try science experiments, and let the kids run round the community garden.
Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more
FreeMuseum of Making
Derby · ages 0+
Free entry to a museum built on Derby's 300 years of making, with workshops and maker spaces to poke around in.
Bike parkingBlue badge parkingCaféGift shop+3 more
from £20National Space Centre
Leicester · ages 0+
A planetarium show, rockets to climb through and hands-on galleries about space, all under one roof in Leicester.
Booking requiredCaféGift shopParking+8 more
FreeNottingham Industrial Museum
Nottingham
Volunteer-run heritage museum in Wollaton Hall's stables, free entry for accompanied kids, five hands-on galleries, and monthly Steaming Days when the engines actually run.
CaféGift shopGroup bookingsFood on site+2 more
from £4Papplewick Pumping Station
Nottingham · ages 0+
Victorian beam engines and a wooded play area near Nottingham, with steam days when the engines actually run.
Booking requiredCaféCard onlyDog friendly+12 more
from £50Sherwood Observatory
Sutton-in-Ashfield
A planetarium and observatory near Mansfield where kids get hands-on with telescopes at open events, arrive early to explore the exhibition and grab a bite at the volunteer-run café first.
Blue badge parkingBooking requiredCaféEV charging+6 more
from £18Wollaton Hall & Deer Park
Nottingham · ages 0-15
A dinosaur gallery inside a Grade I mansion, plus 500 acres of deer park to walk off the museum legs.
Baby changeBlue badge parkingBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more
Good to know: science & discovery centres in Derby
Are any of them free?
Yes, Abbey Pumping Station, Green's Windmill & Science Centre, Museum of Making and Nottingham Industrial Museum are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £4 at Papplewick Pumping Station. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find science & discovery centres in Leicester, Moira, Nottingham, Derby and Sutton-in-Ashfield. Every place we list is in or around Derby, and each listing has the full address and directions.
More ways to plan a day out
KEEP EXPLORING
Not a science & discovery centres day? Try another lane
THE WEEKENDER
Next weekend, sorted. Every Thursday, free.
The best family things happening around Derby, one hidden gem, and a rainy-day backup plan, from a dad who's been there with a bored seven-year-old.
Free forever. One brilliant email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.