Belfast's big hands-on science and discovery centre, up in the Odyssey — hundreds of interactive exhibits across themed floors, a giant climbing sculpture rising through the middle, and it's all indoors. The go-to answer to a wet day.
What you'll do — pull levers, race things down ramps, power exhibits with your own muscle and lose yourself in optical illusions across themed zones like MED-Lab, Energise, Making Sense and the Lost Planet for the youngest ones — nothing behind glass, they get a go at everything.
The big one — Climbit, an abstract steel climbing sculpture that rises through the centre of the building, a three-dimensional maze kids scramble up and through while you watch from below.
Shows & seasons — live science shows run most days, the kind with a bang and a bit of theatre, plus seasonal exhibitions that change through the year.
How long & price — most families give it a comfortable half day (three to four hours). Admission is from £12.50 adult, from £10.50 child, family tickets from around £42–44, and under-3s go free — start-from prices, so confirm when you book.
Rain-proof & handy — bright, warm and all indoors, so nobody's watching the sky. There's the Coffee Lab café on Level 1 for a sit-down, and you're right in the Titanic Quarter with Titanic Belfast a short walk away for after.
Book a timed slot first. W5 asks you to pre-book online rather than turn up on spec. Parking is the paid Odyssey car park.
Some bits carry limits or extra cost. Big draws like Climbit can have height or age rules and may need booking or cost extra — and it's busy in school holidays, so an early slot helps.
Plan your visit
Book ahead — pre-booking is essential
W5 asks you to pre-book a timed slot online rather than turn up on spec, so grab your slot before you set off. Admission is from £12.50 for adults and from £10.50 for children, with family tickets from around £42–44 and under-3s free. It's open 10am to 6pm daily, and last admission is roughly an hour before close — get there for early afternoon at the latest to make a real day of it. Prices and slots are best confirmed on w5online.co.uk on the day.
Book your timed slot before you leave home — it's not a walk-up. And parking is the paid Odyssey car park, so factor that in. Seasonal exhibitions come and go, so it's worth a look at what's on before you travel.
Before you set off
What to bring
📱Your bookingHave the timed-slot confirmation ready on your phone — pre-booking is essential, not walk-up.
🧥Light layersIt's warm indoors and there's a lot of scrambling and climbing, so a jumper you can peel off works well.
🪙A £1 coinThe lockers take a pound coin — handy for stashing coats and bags while the kids climb.
💳Card for parkingThe Odyssey car park is ticketless — tap your card or use the app to pay.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
From £12.50 adult, from £10.50 child and concession; family tickets from around £42 (1 adult + 3 children) to £44 (2 adults + 2 children). Under-3s and carers go free. Prices start-from, so confirm on w5online.co.uk when you book.
Booking
Pre-booking a timed slot online is essential — it's not a walk-up attraction. Book at w5online.co.uk before you travel.
Hours
Open 10am–6pm daily. Last admission is around an hour before close, so aim to arrive by early afternoon. Confirm seasonal hours on the day.
What's inside
More than 250 interactive exhibits across eight zones — MED-Lab, Energise, Making Sense, the Marvellous Machine, In Our Nature and the Lost Planet — plus the Climbit climbing structure and daily live science shows. Seasonal exhibitions change through the year.
Food
The Coffee Lab café on Level 1 does hot food, sandwiches and drinks. There are more cafés and restaurants across the wider Odyssey complex too.
Parking
The Odyssey car park (paid). It's ticketless — tap a card or pay via the app; roughly £3.80 for two hours up to a £30 daily maximum, with 60 accessible bays and EV charging in the rear car park. Confirm current tariffs on the day.
Toilets
Toilets on each floor, fully accessible for wheelchair users. Baby-changing facilities are available at the Odyssey — check on arrival.
Accessibility
Step-free with lift access between floors and wheelchair-accessible exhibits; a buggy park for strollers, and a loop system at the ticket desk and lecture theatre.
How long
Most families give it three to four hours — a comfortable half day, and easily longer if the kids are captivated.
Questions
Before you go
Do I need to book, or can I just turn up?
W5 asks you to pre-book a timed slot online — it's not a walk-up, so sort your tickets on w5online.co.uk before you travel to be sure of getting in.
Is it good for a rainy day?
It's the perfect wet-day answer — everything is indoors, warm and bright, with hours of hands-on doing whatever the weather's up to outside.
What ages is it best for?
Roughly ages 3 to 14 get the most from it — the Lost Planet zone is built for the youngest, and the older ones dig into the trickier exhibits and the Climbit climb. Younger toddlers and grown-ups enjoy it too.
How much does it cost?
From £12.50 for adults and from £10.50 for children, with family tickets from around £42–44 and under-3s free. Prices are start-from, so confirm when you book.
Is there parking?
Yes — the Odyssey car park, which is paid. It's ticketless, so you tap a card or pay through the app; there are accessible bays and EV charging too.
Is it wheelchair and buggy friendly?
Yes — it's step-free with lift access between floors, wheelchair-accessible exhibits and toilets on each floor, plus a buggy park for strollers.
Is there food inside?
The Coffee Lab café on Level 1 does hot food and drinks, and there's more choice across the wider Odyssey complex.
Getting there
W5, 2 Queen's Quay, the Odyssey, Belfast, BT3 9QQ — in the Titanic Quarter just across the river from the city centre, with the paid Odyssey car park on site.
W5 — short for Who, What, Where, When, Why — is Northern Ireland's science and discovery centre, built inside the Odyssey complex on Belfast's Queen's Quay in the Titanic Quarter. The whole idea is learning by doing: more than 250 interactive exhibits spread across eight zones and several floors, where the science happens in your hands rather than on a label.
The centrepiece rising through the atrium is Climbit, an abstract steel climbing sculpture the designers built as a three-dimensional maze — its makers describe it as a Celtic dragon of a structure, and it's said to be the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland. Add the daily live science shows and the seasonal exhibitions that rotate through, and W5 has grown into the go-to indoor family day in Belfast — the place people head for when the weather turns, and plenty of days when it doesn't.