phaeno

Om museet

The phaeno goes back to an initiative of the city of Wolfsburg. The design for the science center next to the main station was supplied in 2000 by the architect Zaha Hadid; it was realized in partnership with the Lörrach firm Mayer Bährle. Self-compacting concrete was used on a large scale during the construction, which took more than four years, and even the building site attracted thousands of curious onlookers as a "Schaustelle" (show site). The center opened on November 24, 2005.

The 170-meter-long structure rests on ten hollow, cone-shaped concrete supports that house the science theater and the Ideenforum (ideas forum), among other things; beneath it lies a covered public square. Inside, the exhibition level spreads out like an undulating landscape of craters, terraces and plateaus. There is deliberately no fixed route: visitors wander freely from station to station, and around one in ten exhibits are artworks by international artists. The center is run by phaeno gGmbH; the building and equipment are provided by the Stiftung phaeno, whose main founder is the city.

For its 20th anniversary, the exhibition was completely overhauled during a seven-week closure and reopened on December 13 and 14, 2025: it is now organized into twelve restructured theme areas with around 200 revised and 50 new exhibits, including a quantum area developed with universities and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Germany's national metrology institute). Since opening, almost 4.8 million people have visited the phaeno; in 2022 there were around 228,000 visitors.

Højdepunkter

• Zaha Hadid's expressive concrete building on ten cone-shaped supports
• More than 300 hands-on stations with no set route
• Fire tornado, vertigo tunnel and pendulum wave
• Van de Graaff generator and dancing magnetic hedgehogs in the "Unter Strom" (Electrified) area
• Quantum area with diamond magnetic sensor and superconductor demonstrations
• Children's area for ages 3 to 8 on three levels

Permanente udstillinger

• Experimentierlandschaft – Reorganized in 2025, the exhibition level brings together more than 300 phenomena in twelve theme areas such as Mathemagie, Sichtweise, Spürsinn, Leben and Planet A, inviting visitors to experiment freely.
• Quanten – Hands-on stations on quantum technology, such as a diamond magnetic sensor, a levitating superconductor demonstration and a history wall on quantum physics, created with partners from research and universities.
• Unter Strom – The area on electricity and magnetism lets visitors experience high voltage, induction and magnetic fields – from the Van de Graaff generator to artistic light and sound objects.

Grundlagt

2005

Ejer

phaeno gGmbH (Stiftung phaeno, Stadt Wolfsburg)

Ledelse

Michel Junge und Jana Handrick (Geschäftsführung)

Besøgende pr. år

ca. 228.000 (2022)

Entrépriser & rabatter

Online tickets and gift vouchers in the ticket shop. Annual pass €42.50 (ages 3–5 €12.50, ages 6–17 €25, seniors/reduced €35). Combination ticket with the Planetarium Wolfsburg (30% off for families, otherwise 10%), combination discount with the Autostadt, HarzCard, and rail combination tickets for school classes. Some shows cost extra (e.g., €3 on top of the day ticket). Members of the friends' association get free admission.

Tilgængelighed

• Kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator
• Handicaptoilet
• Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

An elevator available around the clock runs from the underground parking to the ticket area and the forecourt; from the main entrance, a glass elevator or escalator leads to the exhibition level. The main level is fully wheelchair-accessible via ramps, and the upper level can be reached by stairlift. Accessible restroom and baby changing facilities available; wheelchair and rollator on request. Marked assistance dogs are welcome, other animals are not. Regular "quiet hours" with dimmed lighting and less noise (no groups).

Børn og familie

Velegnet til børn og familier

• Familieomvisninger & workshops
• Opgavehæfte, skattejagt eller audioguide for børn
• Interaktive stationer
• Barnevognsvenlig
• Puslerum
• Legeplads / legehjørne
• Børnefødselsdage

Dedicated children's area for ages 3 to 8 and more than 300 hands-on stations; science theater shows on weekends and holidays, TechLab tinkering workshops and a holiday program. Two free EntdeckerTouren (discovery tours) to download (one for families, one for younger children). All areas can be reached with a stroller via ramps.

Transport & parkering

GPS address: An der Vorburg 1, 38440 Wolfsburg (A39, Wolfsburg-West exit, then follow signs for "Bahnhof/phaeno"). The Lehrte–Berlin rail line will be closed several times between October 2, 2026, and December 11, 2027.

Service & spisesteder

• Café
• Restaurant: findes ikke
• Museumsbutik
• Opbevaringsskabe

Charlys Bistro (external operator) with hot and cold food at varying times, vending machines outside those hours; picnic area for food you bring yourself. "EntdeckerBox" shop. Lockers next to the escalator (€1 or token deposit), lockable cloakroom boxes for school classes.

Arrangementer & udlejning

• Lokaler til leje
• Private fester
• Firmaarrangementer

Op til 205 personer.

Available for booking: the science theater (205 seats), the banquet level (up to 160 people), the glass-walled Ideenforum (up to 150 people) and areas within the exhibition (approx. 500 m², expandable to 1,800 m²); catering, technical equipment, streaming and supporting programs such as shows or architecture tours on request.

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