Fukuoka City Science Museum
A hands-on science museum built around a 25-meter planetarium dome.
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Fukuoka City Science Museum
SaveA hands-on science museum built around a 25-meter planetarium dome.
The fourth floor needs no ticket, and its shoes-off play room lets even a crawling toddler roam.
MoreWhat kind of place
Fukuoka City Science Museum takes up several floors of the Ropponmatsu 421 complex.
Its fifth-floor exhibition hall is built around five themes—space, the environment, daily life, living things, and the future—and some of the displays there came from Robosquare, the robot facility in Momochihama.
One floor up, the dome theater seats 220 under a 25-meter (82-foot) dome, among the largest in Kyushu.
It pairs an optical star projector with a digital one, so a single show can put up a night sky close to the real thing and then take you out to the edge of the universe, 13.8 billion light years away.
Sources and evidence (22)
- There are nursing rooms on the fourth and sixth floors.source
- The lockers sit beside the third-floor information and ticket counter; they take a 100-yen coin and give it back, so they cost nothing.source
- The lockers are 35 by 42 cm, about 14 by 16 inches, and come in three heights: 29, 37, and 50 cm (11, 15, and 20 inches).source
- The fifth-floor exhibition hall lets you re-enter as many times as you like in one day.source
- You can pay in cash, by credit card, with electronic money, with a transit IC card, or by QR code.source
- Tickets are sold at the information and ticket counter on the third floor.source
- The fifth-floor exhibition hall is split into five themed zones—space, the environment, daily life, living things, and the future—with displays you look at and touch as you go.source
- Some of the exhibits in the fifth-floor hall were moved here from Robosquare, the robot facility in Momochihama.source
- The sixth-floor dome theater uses an integrated planetarium system called Gemini Star Sigma Fukuoka, with 220 seats under a 25-meter (82-foot) dome, among the largest in Kyushu.source
- The dome theater pairs an optical projector with a digital one, so it can show a night sky close to the real thing and also fly out to the edge of the universe, 13.8 billion light years away.source
- The welcome hall on the third floor is the museum entrance at the top of the direct escalator, where bold moving images greet arriving visitors.source
- The special exhibition room on the third floor is a large space two stories high, and it hosts special exhibitions during the spring and summer holidays and Golden Week.source
- Also on the third floor, a hands-on area on the Sustainable Development Goals and a richer Fukuoka shows what local companies and their technologies are doing.source
- Science Navi on the fourth floor starts from the questions visitors bring and links activities, displays, and books together; it reopened after a renovation on July 22, 2021.source
- The science and creative workshop on the fourth floor has glass walls, so visitors can watch new exhibits and dome theater shows being developed inside.source
- Three laboratories on the fourth floor run activity programs in chemistry, biology, physics, earth science, and other fields.source
- The fifth floor also holds the open lab, two craft rooms, and the museum shop.source
- The leaflet introducing the museum comes in Japanese, English, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and Korean.source
- For some dome theater shows, an infrared listening system called Assist Horn carries the narration in English, Chinese, and Korean.source
- The address is 4-2-1 Ropponmatsu, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0044, and the phone number is 092-731-2525.source
- The museum has no parking lot of its own and asks visitors to come by public transportation.source
- The Ropponmatsu 421 building that houses the museum has a paid parking garage charging 200 yen per 30 minutes.source
With kidsThe part that matters
Getting into the museum costs nothing; you pay only for the fifth-floor exhibition hall and the sixth-floor dome theater.
So if you're not sure a science museum will hold a small child's attention, start on the fourth floor: the parent-and-child room is shoes-off, so a crawler can get down on the floor with the science toys.
Strollers are free to borrow at the third-floor counter, and there are nursing rooms on the fourth and sixth floors.
Buy the fifth-floor ticket later, once you can see the visit is going well; that ticket lets you go back in as many times as you like the same day.
Sources and evidence (5)
- At the RKB Mainichi Broadcasting booth on the third floor you can try being a news announcer and see yourself on the monitor, which also makes it a good place for a photo.source
- Shape a planet with your hands, kick to sort energy, ride the shaking chair. Science shows run 3+ times a day.source
- The 4F baby space is free and shoes-off, with a nursing room by it. Two hours, and the child never left the stroller.source
- A local writer's twelve places, all his own photos. Yamamoto's hamburger shop takes strollers and has high chairs.source
- Re-entry is allowed, so eat out at 11 before it fills. Parking 6 minutes away caps at ¥600; floor-3 lockers refund ¥100.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The parent-and-child room and the Open Lab are stocked with science gadgets and educational toys, and the museum's own FAQ says small children can enjoy them. On the 4th floor, Science Navi holds picture book story sessions on a regular schedule. A family with a one-year-old went round with the stroller and spent two hours in all.Getting into the museum costs nothing; you buy a ticket only for the 5th-floor main exhibition hall and the 6th-floor dome theater (planetarium). Strollers are lent free at the general information and ticket counter on the 3rd floor. Nursing rooms are on the 4th and 6th floors, and diaper changing tables are in the multipurpose restroom on every floor. There are no bins anywhere in the building and visitors take their rubbish home, so bring a bag for used diapers. Eating and drinking is allowed only in the 4th-floor exchange room and the 6th-floor foyer; anywhere else you will be asked to stop.
- Ages 2-3At the RKB Mainichi Broadcasting booth on the 3rd floor, a child can play announcer and see themselves on the monitor; it doubles as a photo spot. The 5th-floor main exhibition hall is built to be looked at and touched rather than just read. The 3rd-floor Welcome Hall, at the top of the direct escalator, greets arrivals with a big moving display.Preschool children accompanied by a guardian get into both the 5th-floor exhibition hall and the 6th-floor dome theater's general programs free. That exhibition hall allows unlimited same-day re-entry, so you can step out when attention runs out and come back after a rest. Food you bring can be eaten in the 4th-floor exchange room or the 6th-floor foyer, though school groups and events sometimes take those spaces. Photography is fine inside, but the museum asks you not to use a flash.
- Ages 4-6The 5th-floor main exhibition hall is divided into space, the environment, daily life, living things and the future, all made to be seen and handled; some pieces moved here from Robosquare in Momochihama. The 6th-floor dome theater seats 220 under a 25-meter dome and pairs an optical projector with a digital one, so one show can put up a night sky close to the real thing and then fly out to the edge of the universe, 13.8 billion light years away. On the 4th floor, the Science & Creative Workshop has glass walls, letting visitors watch new exhibits and dome theater programs being built inside.Preschool children with a guardian are free, and elementary and junior high students pay 200 yen each for the exhibition hall and for the dome theater's general programs. Some dome theater programs offer English, Chinese and Korean audio through the Assist Horn infrared hearing system. The museum closes on Tuesdays and from 28 December to 1 January; when a Tuesday is a public holiday it opens and closes the next weekday instead, and it opens daily through the spring, Golden Week, summer and winter school holidays. There is no dedicated parking and the museum asks visitors to come by public transport: it is right outside Exit 3 of Ropponmatsu station on the Nanakuma subway line, about 14 minutes from Hakata station.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe museum is housed inside the Ropponmatsu 421 building; you enter at the 3rd-floor Welcome Hall at the top of the direct escalator. The hands-on exhibits on the 5th floor and the 25-meter dome theater on the 6th are all under that roof. It is a few steps from exit 3 of Ropponmatsu Station (Science Museum) on the subway Nanakuma Line.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Shape a planet with your hands, kick to sort energy, ride the shaking chair. Science shows run 3+ times a day.
What you can actually do at Fukuoka City Science Museum, and how to play the permanent exhibition
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
The 4F baby space is free and shoes-off, with a nursing room by it. Two hours, and the child never left the stroller.
Fukuoka City Science Museum with a one-year-old turned out to be the find of the trip
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
A local writer's twelve places, all his own photos. Yamamoto's hamburger shop takes strollers and has high chairs.
Lunch around Fukuoka City Science Museum, picked for families with children
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Re-entry is allowed, so eat out at 11 before it fills. Parking 6 minutes away caps at ¥600; floor-3 lockers refund ¥100.
A full day at Fukuoka City Science Museum: exhibits, the dome theater, and where lunch fits
Fukuoka City Science Museum · Links & reads ▾
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Where to go next
With a baby (0–1)
- Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical GardenZoo & botanical gardenStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table1.2 kmA zoo and botanical garden in one, with a Ferris wheel over Fukuoka.
- Marine World UminonakamichiAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceFamily restroom9.4 kmAn aquarium of Kyushu's own seas, from the deep to a seven-meter open-ocean tank.
- Ippudo Daimyo Main StoreRamen2.0 kmIppudo's main ramen shop in Fukuoka, with two bowls named after the store itself.
Rainy day
- Fukuoka Airport SIM & Wi-Fi Rental CountersSIM & Wi-Fi rental counter6.9 kmThree rental counters for SIM cards and Wi-Fi routers, all in the international terminal.
- Marine World UminonakamichiAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceFamily restroom9.4 kmAn aquarium of Kyushu's own seas, from the deep to a seven-meter open-ocean tank.
- Ippudo Daimyo Main StoreRamen2.0 kmIppudo's main ramen shop in Fukuoka, with two bowls named after the store itself.
For sights
- Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical GardenZoo & botanical gardenStroller friendlyNursing spaceDiaper changing table1.2 kmA zoo and botanical garden in one, with a Ferris wheel over Fukuoka.
- Marine World UminonakamichiAquariumStroller friendlyNursing spaceFamily restroom9.4 kmAn aquarium of Kyushu's own seas, from the deep to a seven-meter open-ocean tank.
Where it is
4-2-1 Ropponmatsu, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka 810-0044source
Before you go
- There are no trash cans in the building, so you carry your trash out and dispose of it yourself.source
- The building has spaces for eating and resting, but on some weekdays they are closed because Fukuoka city elementary schools use them for day-long study visits.source
- You can only eat and drink in the two set-aside spots, the fourth-floor community room and the sixth-floor foyer.source
- Photography is allowed inside, though the museum asks visitors not to use a flash.source
- If you only want the fifth-floor exhibition hall, you can also buy that ticket online through Asoview, a Japanese booking site.source
Basics
- Fee：Coming into the building is free; you only pay for the 5th-floor permanent exhibition and the 6th-floor dome theater. Each is ¥510 for adults, ¥310 for high school students and ¥200 for elementary and junior-high students. Pre-school children are free with a guardian. An annual pass is ¥3,060 / ¥1,830 / ¥1,020. There is no senior discount. Holders of a disability certificate and one carer get in free. A Fukuoka subway day pass or family ticket gives 10% offsource
- Hours：9:30-21:30, though opening times differ by area. Closed Tuesdays and 28 December to 1 January. When a Tuesday falls on a public holiday it opens and the next weekday closes instead. It opens every day through the spring, Golden Week, summer and winter holidays (except the new year period)source
- Time to allow：2 hsource
- Booking：Tickets are sold at the general information / ticket counter on the 3rd floor. Tickets for the 5th-floor permanent exhibition alone can also be bought through AsoviewsourceOfficial booking site ↗
Basics in detail (15)
Fees
- Entering the museum itself is free; you buy a ticket only for the fifth-floor exhibition hall and the sixth-floor dome theater, and each of those has its own ticket.source
- Individual admission to the fifth-floor exhibition hall is 510 yen for adults, 310 yen for high school students, and 200 yen for elementary and junior high students, tax included.source
- Individual admission to a regular show at the sixth-floor dome theater is the same: 510 yen for adults, 310 yen for high school students, and 200 yen for elementary and junior high students, tax included.source
- Preschool children get in free when a guardian is with them, both for the exhibition hall and for the regular dome theater shows.source
- An annual pass costs 3,060 yen for adults, 1,830 yen for high school students, and 1,020 yen for elementary and junior high students, tax included.source
- Anyone showing a physical disability certificate, a mental health certificate, or an intellectual disability certificate enters the exhibition hall and the regular dome theater shows free, along with one carer.source
- There is no senior discount.source
- Showing a Fukuoka City Subway one-day pass, a Famichika ticket, a Family Pair ticket, or the FUKUOKA TOURIST CITY PASS takes 10 percent off, for the pass holder only.source
- The subway fare from Fukuoka Airport to Ropponmatsu (Science Museum) is 300 yen, or 150 yen for a child.source
Hours and closures
- The building is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., but each area inside keeps its own hours, so check the times for the fifth-floor exhibition hall and the dome theater before planning a late visit.source
- It is closed every Tuesday and over the New Year period, December 28 to January 1.source
- When a Tuesday falls on a public holiday the museum opens, and closes the next weekday instead.source
- It opens every day during the spring, summer, and winter school holidays and Golden Week, apart from the New Year closure.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (7)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Nursing space, Diaper changing table
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: main site
The museum takes up floors three to six of a complex beside Ropponmatsu subway station. Its permanent exhibition on the fifth floor is split into space, environment, daily life, life itself and the future, and is built to be touched. The sixth-floor dome theater is 25 meters across with 220 seats. Optical and digital projectors combine to run from a night sky to the edge of the universe. The fourth floor holds picture-book story sessions, and a third-floor booth puts you on screen as an announcer.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Strollers are lent free of charge — ask at the general information / ticket counter on the 3rd floor | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | fukuokacity-kagakukan.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing space | Yes (2) | Nursing rooms on the 4th and 6th floors | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | fukuokacity-kagakukan.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Changing tables are fitted in the multi-purpose toilet on every floor | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | fukuokacity-kagakukan.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | A multi-purpose toilet on every floor, each with a changing table | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | fukuokacity-kagakukan.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | You may eat food you bring in the 4th-floor exchange rooms and the 6th-floor foyer, though these can be closed for school groups or events. Eating elsewhere is not allowed, and there are no bins — take your trash with you | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | fukuokacity-kagakukan.jp |
| English support | English menu & signs | Leaflets about the museum are available in English, Chinese (simplified and traditional) and Korean. Some dome theater programs offer English, Chinese and Korean audio through the AssistHorn infrared headset | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | fukuokacity-kagakukan.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor | All indoors, on floors 3 to 6 of the Ropponmatsu 421 complex | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | fukuokacity-kagakukan.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet |
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