Family-Friendly Things to do in Canberra: Questacon

Sep 17

4 min read

Australia's National Science and Technology Centre, Questacon, has fun activities to offer everyone in the family.

Family friendly things to do in Canberra

From babies to grandparents, Questacon has a range of displays, activities and shows to keep the family entertained. With 7 hands-on spaces, plus a cafe, gift shop and gardens, there's no doubt that a visit to Questacon is one of the best family-friendly things to do in Canberra.

What is Questacon?

Questacon is Australia's National Science and Technology Centre. Their mission is to excite and motivate people through inspirational learning experiences, and their rich, hands-on activities certainly help to get kids and adults excited about science. The quirky Questacon building, in the heart of Canberra, is full of interactive, relevant and fun experiences (even the foyer, ramp and gardens have fun additions). Questacon facilitates learning through play for all ages, and it's guaranteed to be a fun day out.

How do I find Questacon?

Questacon is in the Parliamentary Triangle. There is a carpark out the front, and there is also a large, all-day paid parking carpark next door. This can be quite full during the week, with many people that work in the area parking here. There are also ample bus services that run through the area too.

What will I find at Questacon?

Questacon is a magical place from the moment you first enter. There's installations hanging from the ceiling, adorning the walls, and basically everywhere you look.

Once inside and you've got your tickets, you head to the top of the building by either ramp (with activities along the way), or by lift. At the top, you start at the first room/display. Currently, this is the Curiosity: Building Breakthroughs in Lego Bricks exhibition, and it's a lot of fun! There's numerous displays, all made out of Lego, plus various hands-on activities for kids to build with Lego.

From here, you can make your way down the ramp and stop off at each of the seven rooms, all with their own unique theme. Some of the rooms and the activities inside include:

Awesome Earth - Experience the power and beauty of our awesome planet Earth with hands-on exhibitions, like Caged Lightning (where you can witness a lightning strike), a Wimshurst machine to create the crackle of static electricity, and the recently returned Earthquake House, where you can experience first-hand what an earthquake would feel like.
The Shed - Where you can immerse yourself in invention and innovation. You’ll find hands-on exhibits, artworks, and a tinkering studio where you can design and make. Build a tower or make a cool contraption to float on a wind table.
QLab - Ask questions, test theories and experiment. See and participate in a huge variety of science demonstrations, brought to you by Questacon staff. They’ll show you experiments that pop, squish, whizz and bang, and are there to answer questions along the way.
Excite@Q - this is the room where your kids can burn their energy and have a whole lot of fun in the process. Compete in a 4-way air hockey game, walk through the 'rotating' Rototron, and a fall down the giant drop slide (it's definitely not for the feint of heart!).
Mini Q - This room was built specifically for toddlers, and has a range of activities for 0-6 year olds. With a water splash zone, animal hospital, petrol station, construction zone, a quiet space, and plenty more, there's a whole lot of imaginative fun in this room for babies and toddlers alike.

In the middle of the building is the Friend or Foe - The Rise of Artificial Intelligence exhibition, which has a giant moon suspended from the roof. This room can be viewed from windows all along the ramp, and it's quite an amazing space once you're inside. For older kids, it also raises some interesting questions around the ethics of AI.

Even if you (or your kiddos) aren't particularly interested in science, Questacon is still a really fun place to take the whole family. There's so much to see and do, and the best part is that it' so much fun that you don't even realise you're learning something at the same time.

If you've got babies or toddlers, definitely start at the last room (the Mini Q zone), which is where your kids will have the most fun. If you do this room last, they'll be over-tired by the time you get there, and it won't be as worthwhile.

Is it pram friendly?

Questacon is pram-friendly, and is very easy to manoeuvre through. Just be mindful that in busier time (on weekends or during school holidays) it can get quite packed, and it's a bit harder to navigate the space with a pram. There are family toilets/feeding rooms in the Mini Q room, with the space designed especially for families.