Immaginario Scientifico – Museo della Scienza

About the museum

L’Immaginario Scientifico grew out of an idea by the physicist Paolo Budinich, father of Trieste’s scientific system, and takes its name from the exhibition “Imaginaire Scientifique”, opened at the Villette in Paris in 1986. From 1988 the project was established in Trieste as a science outreach centre aimed mainly at schools, inspired by the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

In 1997 the cooperative Laboratorio dell’Immaginario Scientifico was founded; from 1999, after the move to Grignano, it became a true science centre with a permanent exhibition and educational services. In 2011 a second site opened in Pordenone, in the Cotonificio di Torre.

Between 2020 and 2022 the Trieste museum moved into Magazzino 26 of the Porto Vecchio, a large port warehouse built in 1880 and restored in recent years. In the northern part of the building, across two floors and about 2,000 square metres, there are more than 100 interactive exhibits, a planetarium and laboratory spaces devoted to science and to the research activities of Trieste’s scientific institutions.

Highlights

• More than 100 hands-on interactive stations in the Fenomena section
• “Trieste e la scienza” section on the region’s research institutions
• Innova section on technologies developed by local companies
• Planetarium
• Immersive Imaginaire Scientifique space
• Laboratories, workshop and microscope room

Permanent exhibitions

• Trieste e la scienza – Section on Trieste’s research institutions, with stations on their activities.
• Fenomena – Interactive section with hands-on exhibits on motion, fluids, electromagnetism, sound, light, mathematics, biology and optical illusions.
• Innova – Section on advanced technologies developed in the research departments of local companies.

Founded

1999

Operated by

Laboratorio dell'Immaginario Scientifico Società Cooperativa

Visitors per year

approx. 37,850

Admission & discounts

Also free for group escorts (maximum 2 per group), tourist guides, ICOM members, holders of the FVG Card and of the Family Pass FVG (one child under 12 free for each paying adult). Reduced for holders of the Hoptour ticket valid for 24 hours and of the Castello di Duino ticket.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is accessible to people with motor, visual and hearing disabilities, with a lift and adapted toilets; the ground-floor pavement is made of original masegni stone and is slightly uneven. A sensory decompression space is available for people with cognitive or sensory differences; the captions are written in highly legible text.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The route is designed for the whole family, with more than 100 interactive exhibits to touch and experiment with; free admission up to 5 years and Family Pass FVG.

Getting there & parking

By car from Viale Miramare, at the roundabout signposted “Porto Vecchio”. On foot or by bicycle: entrance to the Porto Vecchio from Largo Città di Santos, then about 1.8 km. Paving work is under way in front of the museum entrance; pedestrian access is guaranteed. From 25 April to 4 October 2026 the Delfino Verde boat service runs, with an on-demand stop “Porto Vivo”.

Amenities & dining

Vending machines for drinks and snacks inside the museum. Dogs are admitted if in a carrier or carried.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit