Take your Kids to Birla Science Museum & Planetarium Hyderabad
Like many parents in Hyderabad, we too are faced with the challenge where to take kids during the summer vacation. I was looking for options beyond malls and cinema halls when I literally stumbled on Birla Science Museum and Planetarium on Naubat Pahad, close to Hussain Sagar. I have actually been there to attend a photography workshop and ended up admiring the treasure trove that Birla Science Museum and Planetarium offers to the whole family.
What to Expect at Birla Science Museum and Planetarium: The Birla Planetarium is on the top of Naubat Pahad, very close to the Birla Mandir visible from Hussain Sagar. There is ample paid parking available, so be a Good Samaritan and take kids of your friends and relatives also. There are many exhibits like Dinosaurium and Planetarium. Besides these there are regular movie shows starting from 11:30 am all the way till 7:30 in English, Telugu, and Hindi so take your pick and attend the show as per your linguistic preference.
Why did I like the Birla Science Museum and Planetarium?
One the best reasons to like Birla Science Museum in Hyderabad is that it is centrally located and easily accessible from all parts of Hyderabad so no matter where you live in Hyderabad or are visiting for a short duration you can easily reach thanks to its central location. Also as the Birla Museum is on top of a hill the birds eye view of the surrounding city is absolutely beautiful even before you have entered the museum.
What I liked the most in the center were the exhibits where the different working model of various scientific principal are displayed and kids are encouraged to play with them. So the children visiting the museum can not only see the exhibits they can actually try them out and learn science principals that they may be aware only by theory from their school curriculum. The theory is one thing but to see those scientific principals being implemented in lifesize models is a different experience, and kids understand this better than anybody else.
I saw a lot of children trying and learning about gravity, pendulum, optical illusion, circular motion and many other scientific principles from the exhibits at the museum. My personal favorite was the pendulum that was filled with some sand and as the pendulum moved around a small trail of sand dropped from it making a design on the Carrom board kind of platform below. Learning science while playing with sand, now who can beat that?
The museum staff is very friendly and eager to explain about the exhibits to inquisitive children. I think not only the kids but also the teachers in our schools will benefit from watching and learning about these exhibits as this will help them explain things better in the school to their students.
Another reason I liked the Birla Planetarium and Science Museum was that it also functions as a huge art gallery, with paintings from modern maestros like Jamini Roy and Akbar Padamsee, jostling for space with ancient stone idols discovered and collected from various parts of Andhra Pradesh. It was indeed great to see that a science museum is doing its part to conserve and display our heritage. Check some of the pictures Ganesha Idols that I have shared above.
In one of the lobbies of the museum, there is a life-size replica of Trishul the indigenously developed surface to air missile. I really felt very proud looking at it, not because it is a weapon, but because it is a great scientific achievement. The missile immediately took me to my classroom memories when I struggled hard to memorize theory of Aerodynamics, Projectile motion, gravity, movement of the earth. So many scientific discoveries, inventions, and laws of physics are used to make a missile. How I wish I had seen a missile in my school days, I would have been a Rocket Scientist by now 😛
Timings of Birla Planetarium and Science Museum
The Birla Science Center is open from 10:30 am to 8 pm. The movie shows start at 11:30 am and continues at a regular interval in English, Telugu, and Hindi.
Once you have seen the exhibits at the museum in the building you can spend time in the well-maintained gardens and kids play area and enjoy some time as a family picnic munching on the snacks.
IMPORTANT point Weekly Holiday: The Birla Planetarium and Science center is closed on last Thursday of every month and until 3 pm on every 2nd and last Friday of each month for maintenance.
Entry Ticket: A joint ticket for Planetarium and Museum is for RS 70, or if you are short of time and want to visit only one of them then you can buy a single ticket for Rs 40.
How to reach: The Birla Mandir is visible from miles in Hyderabad and the Birla Science Museum and Planetarium is very close to it. Follow this Google map to reach Birla Planetarium and Science Center.
Contact: Email: [email protected]. Phone no: +91 40 23235081/23241067
Overall I would highly recommend visiting Birla Science Museum and Planetarium with your kids and spend a day learning about not only science, dinosaurs, planets, stars but it will be a day well-spent bonding with your kids. It is a better way to spend a day with your kids than taking them to the mall once again. After the museum, you can visit the Birla Mandir nearby and go to click pictures of the 18 Meter tall Buddha Statue in Hussain Sagar.
Here is a complete series on Places to see in and around Hyderabad.
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🙂 🙂 🙂
Kids actually can learn a lot by going to such places as they provide a conducive environment for the same – learn while you enjoy and have fun too!
Absolutely true, a great way to learn 🙂