Taipei Astronomical Museum 台北天文館

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The Taipei Astronomical Museum is insightful, fun, and amazing. It has the biggest planetarium I have ever seen and up-to-date scientific information about the cosmos and new discoveries. It also contains a roller coaster ride and a theater. It is definitely worth a trip for the whole family.

Background:
​In 1938, the Japanese Daily News Paper donated a telescope on one of Taipei's local buildings. After 1945, it was renamed the Taipei City Observatory. 
The Taipei Astronomical Museum was built in 1996, taking over from the previous Taipei City Observatory.
The new building includes a museum area, a theater, a roller coaster (cosmic adventure), and an observatory. The observatory includes two telescopes and is used for research purposes only, and is usually not open to the public.
The museum is a popular place for families and children and can get quite crowded on weekends.

Hours:
Closed on Mondays, except on public holidays
Weekdays and Sunday 9:00~17:00
Saturday 9:00~20:00

Price:
40 NT per person
You can buy tickets on Klook here or KKday here. 

Tours:
You can book a tour of Taipei on Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here.

Hotels in Taipei:
We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). 
We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: From Taipei, take Chengde Road North to Shilin and keep going until it becomes Provincial Highway 2A. The museum will be on your right, hard to miss. There is free scooter parking on the street and paid car parking underground, but it can fill up quickly.
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By MRT/Bus: Take the red line MRT to Jiantan Station, then take bus 288 north to the Taipei Astronomical Museum. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

Map:

Our Journey:

​​I have been to the Taipei Astronomical Museum once and it exceeded my expectations. Not only did I learn more about space exploration as an adult, but the experience was also fund for my kids. 

​You can buy tickets on Klook here or KKday here. 

Our journey began on the first floor, where there was some moon landing equipment on display. 

You can see a map of the museum above, taken from the museum website. 

Also on the first floor is a water bottle canon launcher, which can entertain parents and children for hours. 

There is also a display of the international space station, including the space toilet. 

There is more than one planetarium. This one on the second floor has an interactive display that tells you your weight on each planet. 

Giant rotating moon in the ceiling. 

Another giant planetarium in the middle of the building. Those planets are huge. 

View down to the first floor. 

There is also sort of a day care area on the second floor with giant Legos and other toys. 

A wall with explanations of the cosmos. 

Another planetarium with the sun and planets built to scale. 

The life of stars. 

Black holes. 

The sun and planets built to scale. 

Walking inside the sun. 

Kids running inside the sun. 

Explanation of the shape of the Milky Way Galaxy. 

View of the lobby from the third floor. 

Diorama of life on earth. 

Another view of the planetarium from the third floor. 

Scale of the universe. 

I was very impressed to see this photo on display of a black hole, taken with the help of Taiwan's Academia Sinica. 

View from the bathroom. 

Walking up to the "Cosmic Adventure" roller coaster, which requires buying a separate ticket.

Looking back down the same steps. 

Walking into the ride. 

Making our way to the ride. 

Getting closer. 

Finally made it to the line. 

Inside the ride. 

In the ride, the car spins around a lot, and there are lots of bright flashing lights. The car moves slowly on a track though. You also have to fend off an alien invasion. 

Alien. 

Video from the beginning of the ride. 

Video of the alien invasion 

After the ride is over, you get off here. 

Fixing a space station.

Mars landing vehicle. 

Video of the rover above. 

Hypothetical Mars vehicle. 

Seas of Titan. 

More photos of the museum above. 

You can buy tickets to the Taipei Astronomical Museum on Klook here or KKday here. 

You can also look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, and more on Klook here, KKday here, or Tripadvisor here.

Check out our Taipei Museum Guide here.

​Check out our family and kids guide to Taipei here.

Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. 

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