** Last Updated – August 2026 **
The name Gujarat Science City sounds like a dream destination for anyone who loves learning. Built by the government to showcase science through entertainment, the campus features an energy park, an IMAX 3D theatre, simulation thrill rides, and massive exhibition halls.
When I first visited this sprawling 107-acre campus in late 2017 with my sister and her family, I left feeling incredibly frustrated by run-down facilities, broken exhibits, and unhelpful staff. But like Kankaria Lake Front, Gujarat Science City has also undergone a major transformation since my first visit.
While some of the older exhibition halls still feel stuck in the past, the addition of jaw-dropping, world-class attractions has completely changed the narrative. If you are wondering whether Gujarat Science City is finally worth your time and money, here is my raw, updated review.
First Visit Experience (2017)
Instead of educational and fun experience, I encountered the rude staff who were unwilling to start the ride or show citing low participant numbers, poor quality 3-D show and vaguely described science exhibits without any guide/expert.
Gujarat Science city was part of my Ahmedabad Trip in 2017 fall along with my sister, her husband and their daughter. After checking out reviews on the internet and reading some positive reviews about this place, we decided to dedicate a full day to Science City.
Reaching the Campus and First Impressions
We reached there around 10:30 on Thursday morning. There were hardly any people there. As the official park timings were from 10 to 6, we thought we came in ahead of time and others would follow shortly. As soon as we entered the park, the one thing that stood out was the vastness of the park which is spread across 107 acres of land.
We were strolling around the park and noticed that there were no proper signboards or maps to guide the tourists to various park attractions. We found this to be erratic given the park size; anyone can lose their way and there should have been sign-boards guiding the visitors to the exit.
Hall Of Space Exhibitions – Pathetic Experience
First, we came across the simulator rides; and we were told that they would not start until there are at least a group of 6 people. We thought of revisiting this later and moved in search of the new attraction.
After walking for a few minutes, we saw the board with Hall of Space written on it. We entered there and started to walk through the area. There were some satellite phone communication exhibits which I could not understand at all. Few phones were placed in a circle and by pressing some button in a phone would light up one of the other phones. Heck, I am not some 4-year old who would get happy by seeing a glowing phone. I expected some description or explanation for it.
There was “Walking on Moon” show in Space hall which staff refused to start citing the same 6 people rule. We asked a few people to join us but they reacted like they didn’t hear us. There were around 20-25 people at that time in the hall, and each one was just passing from one exhibit to others without spending any significant amount of time on one particular display. We could sense that no one had any idea what these exhibits are for.
Now, we had started to get frustrated by the indifferent behaviour of the staff and started ruing our decision to visit Gujarat Science City. But we stayed on hoping for a better experience later on.
There was another floor in Space Hall and we decided to check it out. It has more science exhibits than the one on the ground floor but without any detailed description or professional guide, those were uninteresting and incomprehensible.
Poor Quality IMAX Shows
When we came out of the Space Hall and it was around noon and we went to the IMAX 3-D theatre to watch the “Island of Lemurs – Madagascar” show. Once again, we were told that the show was cancelled because of lack of people.
We walked around the park for some time looking for other attractions but we didn’t find any. There was not a single person visible in the vicinity whom we could have asked for directions. As we had planned the full day for Science city, we had nothing else to do. We thought of waiting until lunchtime and leave if nothing happens till then.
We sat under a tree and stayed there for some time and went back to simulator rides to see if they are ready to start. They didn’t and we moved back to IMAX theatre one more time. It was a few minutes past 1 and we were told that the 1 pm show (T-Rex) has already started.
“Finally, something happened”, we told ourselves. We took the tickets and went inside. To our dismay, 3-D glasses were pathetic, to say the least. The picture was blurry and was straining on our eyes. It felt like watching without 3-D glasses. When we came out of the show, we were almost on the verge of having a headache.
It was the final nail in the coffin and we made up our mind that there is no point in staying there. It was almost 2 PM and our stomachs were starting to talk. We ate in the nearby cafeteria and left the place in disbelief.
PC: Wikimedia Commons
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Has Anything Changed In 2026?
Thankfully, navigation has improved significantly today. The campus now features much clearer directional signage, better layouts, and digital maps near the entry hubs to help you find your way between pavilions without getting frustrated.
No Cancellation of Simulator Rides
The annoying old “minimum 6 people” rule that used to plague the simulator rides and the “Walking on Moon” show is also mostly a thing of the past for the primary zones. Because of the decent influx of daily tourists, the lines and attractions now move continuously.
Same Old Exhibitions in Hall of Space
While these older secondary floors have been cleaned up slightly over the years, they remain relatively uninteresting and incomprehensible for adults compared to modern international museums. It was clear that Hall of Space is neglected and not given any attention for its upkeep. The place looked dirty and aesthetically ugly.
Improved IMAX But Still Irrelevant
The old IMAX 3D theatre has also been upgraded since the days when blurry lenses gave us a headache, but it is no longer the main reason people visit. Today, the massive crowds completely bypass these older zones and head straight to the back of the campus for the newly constructed premium galleries.
New Additions (2026)
The multi-crore infrastructure overhaul has introduced two massive, modern landmarks to the complex: the Aquatic Gallery and the Robotics Gallery. These two zones are what truly define the modern Science City experience.
The Aquatic Gallery: Absolute World-Class
The newly built Aquatic Gallery is an absolute showstopper and easily feels like an international-level aquarium. The facility is flawlessly clean, beautifully maintained, and features an incredible array of colorful marine life grouped by different geographic regions.
The absolute highlight of the gallery is a stunning, see-through glass underwater tunnel. Walking through it while massive sharks and schools of fish glide right over your head feels utterly mesmerizing and completely dreamlike.
But the real crown jewel of the aquarium has to be the dedicated penguin enclosure. This is one of the only places in India where you can see live penguins up close! Watching them waddle around and splash into the water is an absolute joy.
Best of all, the entry ticket is incredibly affordable for a facility of this high standard, making it the one absolute must-visit zone on the campus.
The Robotics Gallery: A Bit of a Letdown
Right next to the aquarium sits the towering Robotics Gallery. While the concept sounds like a sci-fi lover’s dream, the actual execution left a lot to be desired from a seasoned traveler’s perspective.
Honestly, I didn’t find the Robo Gallery very interesting. The entire space feels heavily targeted toward small toddlers and young children who get easily thrilled just by watching a machine perform basic automated tasks or dance routines. If you are an adult looking for an educational, deep dive into modern engineering, prepare to modify your expectations.
There are hourly free guided group tours, which turned out to be incredibly short, rushed, and not at all educational. The guide essentially hurries you from one isolated section to another like a conveyor belt. To make matters worse, there is zero interactivity; you are strictly prohibited from operating or playing with any of the robots yourself, even if you are willing to pay an additional premium fee. It feels more like a static showroom of expensive machinery rather than a hands-on tech lab.
Gujarat Science City Ticket Prices
Gujarat Science City ticket prices are very affordable. The most expensive combo package, which includes entry to all the exhibitions + Aquatic Gallery + Robotic Gallery + Astronomy and Space Science Gallery is ₹499. We opted for ₹349 combo that included entry to all the exhibitions + Aquatic Gallery + Robotic Gallery.
The Final Verdict: Is Gujarat Science City Worth Visiting Now?
My recent revisit completely flipped my perspective on this campus. While the older pavilions remain a bit of a miss, the addition of the spectacular Aquatic Gallery single-handedly saves the destination. It is an absolute must-visit for families, children, or anyone who hasn’t had the chance to visit mega-aquariums abroad.
To get the absolute best value out of your day, don’t waste your time or money on the all-inclusive combo tickets. Simply buy a basic campus entry ticket, add on a standalone pass for the magnificent Aquatic Gallery, and manage your expectations for the rest. It is no longer an utter disappointment; it’s just a place where you need to pick your zones wisely!
Address – Gujarat Council of Science City, Science City Rd., Off S. G. Highway, Ahmedabad – 380 060
Phone – +91 7929703122
Opening Hours – 10 AM to 7 PM (Closed on Monday)
Have you visited Gujarat Science City? Share your views in the comments below!!
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It seems like a great concept, It’s a shame they can’t put it to work. Perhaps, they might rethink after your honest review.
It is sad to hear about your experience. I agree with proper signboards being of great help. You can get lost without one. In most places across the world, they make sure you find your way without wasting precious time.
In India, people just don’t seem to understand that creating a tourist infrastructure is not just enough. It has to be people-friendly as well. India has such a huge tourism potential but loosing out due to authorities ignorance.
Thanks for sharing your honest review on this and I’m sorry you were left disappointed. I hope that someone from management sees this post and your feedback, and makes the changes you suggested.
Thanks, Catherine.
Such a shame. Seems like a good concept but clearly they are not able to execute it well. I agree with your suggestions especially about guided tours – what’s the point of having an exhibit without any information?!
Exactly. Information becomes even more important for science exhibits as not everyone is aware of science concepts.
Sounds like a very disappointing visit. Seems like the 6 people rule should be a bit more flexible if attendance is so low.
That’s so disappointing that the Science Center didn’t live up to your expectations. I like that you wrote very detailed examples of how they could make it better – I hope someone is paying attention!
Oh man, that’s a huge shame. The park itself looks amazing. The potential for tourist traffic is huge, just with the few suggestions you made.
Place looks very interesting and educational. But still costumer service is more important. Thank you for sharing this so people would be aware about it.
I looked at Tripadvisor reviews and they are mixed as you said. The positive reviews, however, arenot very detailed, so who knows what the expectations of the different reviewers are. Anyway, this one is off my list.
After reading your post i don’t think we will ever visit Gujarat’s Science City. Thanks for writing about it.
Oh what a shame!
I guess it is also a chicken or the egg situation. If they do not run the attractions, then fewer people will come. Then, as there are fewer people, they won’t run the attractions. I am sorry to hear you had such a rubbish time! 🙁
Darn this is pretty disappointing, especially since there are so many kids and adults who would be fascinated by science if it were presented in the right way. I hope they invest in some proper management and upgrading their features, seems like such a waste to keep it open and not be worth the trip!
Yes, Darby. It’s a great concept on paper to attract more students and even adults to science but like any other concept, implementation is key to success. Poor management and stupid rules have turned Gujarat Science City to failure.
It looks like a clear case if mismanagement. It opened well,bhad a great vision, but had pour exevutionm I wonder though why they did not have negative comments on the website. You should register one!