Refurbished Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Reopens

After a long pause and a sweeping transformation, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is stepping back into the spotlight.

On Tuesday, the landmark museum reopened its doors for a pressure test, welcoming invited visitors ahead of a public trial opening in the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday. The moment marked the final countdown to a return that many Shanghai families have been waiting for and a bold new chapter for one of China's most influential science museums.

The museum will open two public pressure-test days on January 29 and February 4, from 9am to 5pm. Tickets went on sale at 10am on January 28 via the official mini program and the museum's WeChat account (ID: sstm01). During the pressure test period, tickets are limited to one per person, with real-name, time-slot booking required. The Rainforest Realm zone and some exhibits will remain temporarily closed for fine-tuning.

A familiar icon

Opened in 2001, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum in the Pudong New Area has spent more than two decades shaping young minds. Together with its sister venues, the Shanghai Natural History Museum and the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, the institution has received over 95 million visitors worldwide.

But in 2023, the museum pressed pause on its daily bustle to undergo the most extensive upgrade in its history. With a total investment of around 8.2 billion yuan (US$1.18 billion), the renovation combined major building restoration with a comprehensive exhibition overhaul, rethinking what a science museum can be in the digital age.

"I visited the museum before it closed," said Nicole Stewart, one of the visitors to the museum on its first day of pressure test. Stewart is from the United States and has lived in Shanghai for 12 years. "And it's exciting to be here today to see all the new renovations and new displays."

Ten new worlds to explore

The museum now features 10 permanent exhibition zones, ranging from immersive rainforests and futuristic energy systems to robotics, aviation, health science and child-focused discovery spaces. Visitors can move from a recreated tropical rainforest to a hands-on exploration of artificial intelligence, or dive into the story of human flight, which can all be in a single visit.

More than 400 interactive exhibits are on display, with an interaction rate of 80 percent and an original design rate of 87 percent. Over 230 precious science and technology artifacts are being shown together for the first time, connecting abstract innovation with real, tangible objects.

According to museum director Ni Minjing, the renovated museum is designed to slow visitors down rather than rush them through. "If you spend just one minute at each exhibit," Ni said, "it would take 405 minutes to see everything."

In other words, this isn't a one-hour stop. It's a place meant for wandering, returning and discovering something new each time.

"It's exciting to see the technology, especially the Chinese technology here," Stewart told City News Service while visiting the AI Pioneers zone. "And just like even being in this room about the future, it's exciting that China is going to have a big part in the future."

She added that the museum's focus on possibility and imagination stood out.

"Maybe these young people will get inspired by science today, and go and make the next big innovation or invention to make the world better," she said.

Smarter, greener, more human

This upgrade is guided by four key ideas: being more forward-looking, more intelligent, more integrated and more sustainable.

Digital systems now support everything from ticketing and visitor flow to exhibit management, while NFC (near field communication)-based interactive experiences invite visitors of all ages to explore the museum in playful new ways. Science meets art throughout the building, with nine large-scale installations by Chinese and international artists blending data, mechanics and aesthetics.

Behind the scenes, green building technologies have boosted overall energy efficiency by more than 15 percent – all while preserving the museum's iconic exterior, a balance of memory and modernity.

More than a museum visit

The reopening also signals a broader cultural revival. Night openings, extended hours and staggered schedules across the three museums are planned to make science more accessible to the public.

As the Chinese New Year approaches, a headline exhibition themed around the horse which is created in collaboration with Beijing's Palace Museum will fuse history, technology and immersive design just in time for the Year of the Horse.

From sleeping overnight in the Natural History Museum to stargazing at the Astronomy Museum, the Science and Technology Museum cluster is positioning itself as a living, breathing science culture hub, which is not just a place to visit, but a place to experience.

As Shanghai's science landmark prepares to welcome the public again, it returns as a space reshaped for how people engage with ideas about the future. Designed for lingering rather than rushing, and for curiosity that unfolds over time, the refurbished museum invites visitors to explore, reflect and imagine what lies ahead in their own way.