National Space Centre

If any member of your family has ever dreamt of becoming an astronaut then they’re going to love the award-winning National Space Centre! This Leicester-based attraction is a great place to visit during school holiday periods when the kids are eager to explore. Whether you have kids with a deep curiosity for alien life, a spacecraft fanatic or a kid who loves all things planets, this space centre will completely blow your socks off! 

Not only does the National Space Centre Leicester have the largest planetarium in the UK but there are lots of fascinating interactive galleries to view too. You can quite literally have your head in - and beyond - the clouds... Exploring astronomy & space is a truly magical experience for children. Take one giant leap for your family, and visit this otherworldly attraction!

 

Get ready for lift off as you pull on your helmet to board the iconic 42m high iconic rocket tower, before touring the six interactive galleries that take you on a journey through the spacesuits of the past as you piece together man’s amazing voyage into the unknown. There are hands-on galleries too in the Our Solar System exhibit. Your little ones walk through the gallery and stop off at Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Take time out of your journey to drive a Martian rover on the red planet, take a bath with Saturn and even see Venus in 3D. 

Kids can learn about past & future space exploration in excellent workshops that enhance their current classroom learning. Learn about human impact, the challenges of life and environmental challenges in the STEM Lessons. This makes science extra special if you are a teacher looking for an attraction that will ignite your kids passion about science and fields of space science. 

Heard of Apollo 17? This significant space mission is in the fact the most recent / last trip to the moon. You can find an extremely rare moon rock sample within in the space centre. Did you know moon rock is rarer than diamond and gold? Around 26,000 kilograms of diamonds are mined every year, whilst some estimates place the amount of gold mined per year at around 3,000,000 kilograms. All of the Moon rock known about here on Earth adds up to a grand total of just over 430 kilograms – less than 0.02 percent of the total gold mined per year! Learn more about each Apollo lunar lander in other Apollo missions alongside the Apollo 17 Moon Rock exhibit. 

Young children will love Sir Patrick Moore’s Planetarium, which illuminates the wonders of the skies before your eyes and find out all about what’s orbiting Earth. This dome planetarium is also the UK's largest, making it an impressive attraction to add to your bucket list! Watch award winning planetarium shows like 'We Are Stars'. 'We Are Aliens', 'Capcom Go', 'Tour of the night Sky' and lots more! Psst, some of the shows are narrated by Andy Serkis - that's the voice of Gollum to all you Lord of The Rings fans! It really is the ultimate cinematic experience.

Become a trainee astronaut at the Tranquillity Base, have a go at charting planets and see what you can discover as you peer through the telescope. By the end of the day you'll feel well-equipped to explore the universe! Play with interactive space toys 

 

Exploring the vast and expansive universe will at the very least, make you peckish. Round off your visit with a meal under our amazing rockets in the onsite shop & cafe.

Munch on a selection of freshly made and locally sourced sandwiches and snacks, as well as hot and cold drinks at Boosters Cafe. Need something to warm up your cockles? Once you've descended back to Earth you have to try the chef's 'soup of the day' - it's freshly made and soup-erb! Enjoy a wide range of high quality “diner” fare, including warm nachos with fresh chilli, cheese and salsa, as well as gourmet hot dogs!

Have your little astronauts been good? Treat them to an ice cream milkshake, while you sip on one of the centre's exclusive freshly brewed coffees (made with our own Leicester roasted coffee beans). Now you've refuelled, it's time for all space cadets to return to the National Space Academy and have even more FUN! 

 

 

 

The National Space Centre is located just off the A6, two miles north of Leicester City Centre, midway between Leicester’s inner and outer ring roads.

Brown road signs with a distinctive rocket logo will direct you from the arterial routes around Leicester.

You'll be happy to know there are over 400 parking spaces to choose from, including 23 enhanced accessibility spaces. You'll have to pay a small fee of £3 per car and £5 per motorhome/minibus for the whole day (contactless or cash pay and display machines on site). The following fees are in place 09:00-17:00.

 

First Bus 54 runs every 10 mins throughout the day Monday to Saturday and every 20 mins on Sunday running from 9.30am.

The bus stop is only 6 minutes’ walk away from the National Space Centre.

 

East Midland Trains and Cross Country Trains serve Leicester Station. From here you can either take a bus or a taxi to the National Space Centre.

First bus 54 runs every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sunday from Charles Street, a short walk from the station.