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- About Gift Aid
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- Contact Details
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- INTECH supporters
- Visitor Facilities
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Click on the question to jump to its answer.
- When are you open?
- How long should I plan to be in the centre?
- What does my admission ticket cover?
- Why isn't the planetarium included in the admission ticket?
- Can I just come to the planetarium without paying for the exhibition?
- Can I advance-book tickets?
- Is INTECH suitable for under-5's?
- Is there a café?
- Do you have anywhere to eat a packed lunch?
- Can you guarantee my favourite exhibit will be working?
- How are you funded?
- What is Gift Aid?
- What is a STEMPOINT?
- How can I become a volunteer at INTECH?
We are open every day of the year (except Dec 24-26) from 10am-4pm. Check the main website (eg here) for extended opening times in the summer holidays.
Occasionally there are school-days where the planetarium is not available due to events or private bookings. Please check the planetarium calendar for these dates.
How long should I plan to be in the centre?
It depends on your attitude! Some people spend all day at INTECH, but most probably spend about half a day, including a visit to the planetarium.
What does my admission ticket cover?
Admission covers entry to our two floors of hands-on exhibitions and any free events that are running that day. We often have free events in school holiday periods, check our events calendar for information.
Your admission ticket does not include entry to the planetarium.
Why isn't the planetarium included in the admission ticket?
Not everyone wants to go into the planetarium (eg families with children under 5yrs) so we let visitors have the choice rather than automatically adding this cost to every entry ticket.
Can I just come to the planetarium without paying for the exhibition?
Yes you can, for any standard show that ends at closing time. Such shows run nearly every weekend and in school holidays.
See here for current standalone prices.
This ticket option is only available for shows ending at closing time as the planetarium is within our main venue so we cannot police whether people exit into the exhibition. See the schedule here.
We occasionally have special shows in the planetarium with standalone tickets, which will be shown on the events calendar. You might also be interested in our Adults Only evenings.
Only for special events (eg evening lectures), or if you are a school or other registered group (eg Brownies, Women's Institute).
If we are busy enough that tickets are selling out, our car park will also be near capacity (this only usually happens during February/October half term). We don’t want to risk people having pre-booked tickets but then failing to find a parking space.
If you would like to buy a ticket as a gift then we can provide a voucher. The voucher will not have a specific date so the recipient can choose when to visit. Call 01962 891902 to arrange this.
Is INTECH suitable for under-5's?
The exhibition is designed to be ideal for ages 5yr+, although younger children can have a fine time playing with the exhibits in a less structured way. Many parents appreciate having a safe interesting environment in which their children can express their natural desire to explore. Steps are available for younger children to stand on, although toddlers may have to be lifted up to the level of some exhibits.
The Astrium Planetarium is not recommended for children under 5yrs. The experience can be quite overwhelming and we find that young children are often unable to sit quietly. We do allow younger children in to avoid older siblings missing out, but please be ready to leave if your child becomes disruptive. You may wish to consider coming to one our our Chatterbox shows.
On busy days (Feb & Oct half-term, or rainy days during the summer) the venue can get quite busy and loud. The quietest times are usually school-day afternoons.
Yes we have a café franchise within the INTECH buildings. They sell a variety of hot and cold food and drinks. The café closes at 3pm in term-time, or half an hour before closing during school holidays.
Hot lunches are available from 12pm-2pm.
The café sells a variety of foods including sandwiches, soup, baked potatoes, salads and cakes.
Do you have anywhere to eat a packed lunch?
We provide an outside picnic area (with tables), accessed from the cafe. You are also welcome to picnic in your car; ask at front desk for a re-entry ticket.
We provide indoor picnicking (ask for location on arrival) on the following basis:
The cafe (a franchise) need their tables for their customers; please do not picnic here.
Hampshire holiday dates can be found on our events calendar.
Can I be sure my favourite exhibit will be working?
All our exhibits are checked by technicians every morning and then a number of times throughout the day. You can check the “broken exhibits” board by the reception desk to see if your favourite is working (notice this board is usually blank!).
Our exhibits are designed to be robust and we work hard to keep them functioning. However, as they have moving parts and are used by many visitors there will always be a point at which they need attention. Once an exhibit is reported as damaged we do our best to repair it as quickly as possible.
If you find an exhibit that doesn’t seem to work then please let our team know; they can then check whether the exhibit is damaged, or show you how to make it work.
No hands-on science centre can guarantee all its exhibits will be functioning, but we think we do pretty well at keeping ours in good shape.
INTECH is an independent educational charity which is almost entirely self funded: we receive very little funding from the government. The income we generate from visitor admissions, the shop and corporate facility hire is used to cover our running costs and to subsidise the work we do with schools.
We rely on fundraising to generate the money we need to develop new exhibits, to refurbish the ones we already have, and to purchase new planetarium shows.
If you or your organisation are able to offer any support then please get in touch!
If you're a UK taxpayer and you make a donation that is 10% more than the standard admission charge, then the Government will give us an extra 25% on top of your donation.
To thank you for your support, we would like to give you (and each member of your family covered by your donation) INTECH shop vouchers to the value of £1/adult and 75p/child. In this way we can both benefit!
This extra income makes a massive difference to charitable attractions like INTECH. The extra money goes towards the upkeep of the site, building and new developments. See "How are you funded?" for more information about our income streams.
The term ‘STEM’ groups together the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. These are all interlinked in solving many of the challenges facing modern society.
INTECH is the STEMPOINT contract holder for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight,. This means that we are able to give schools advice about the STEM enhancement and enrichment schemes with which they can become involved. We are able to inform about both local and national activities and help identify which opportunities can best inspire students in the STEM subjects. Finally we are also able to provide a matchmaking service between schools and STEM ambassadors (volunteers who are either working in a STEM industry or have recently retired and wish to inspire students in their subject). The STEMPOINT contract is awarded by STEMNET.
How can I become a volunteer at INTECH?
We have a variety of volunteer opportunities available, especially during school holidays. If you would like to volunteer then please contact us, telling us a little about your background/experience and when you might be available to help.
