Ever wanted to press the ignition button on a rocket? A new museum across the border in Shenzhen is betting you do. The Tiangong Space Science Exploration and Art Museum (天·宮闕) opened September 10 in Luohu, and it’s being called the Greater Bay Area’s first immersive aerospace “space park.”
The concept is simple and kind of great: you don’t just look at exhibits, you become a trainee astronaut. Everyone gets a mission handbook and works through a full journey — rocket launch, satellite deployment, life aboard a space station, a lunar landing, and a Mars expedition — across 21 themed zones packed into 3,800 square meters (roughly nine basketball courts).
The headline attraction is a 1:1 replica of the living quarters of China’s space station core module, where you can touch a spacecraft porthole and operate cabin equipment set up to mimic real mission procedures.
Elsewhere, the rocket launch zone reproduces the roar and vibration of an engine firing, there’s a satellite command center where groups run pre-launch checks together, and an “Astronaut’s Home” displaying a fully disassembled spacewalk suit. History buffs get real rocket debris and a full lineup of rocket models — each scorch mark tied to an actual flight.
The crowd favorite so far is the VR theater, “Nine Heavens Embrace the Moon,” a first-person lunar expedition with hand-tracking that simulates weightlessness, spacecraft docking, and a moon landing. There’s also a 7D light dome, a planetary gravity experience, and a space farm.
The details:
- Where: No. 88 Meiyuan Road, Luohu District, Shenzhen (羅湖區梅園路88號, inside Shenye Home Furnishing)
- Getting there: Metro Line 7 or Line 9 to Hongling North Station (紅嶺北站), Exit G
- Hours: Daily, 9:30am–6:00pm
- Tickets: RMB 139 (adult), RMB 99 (concession), RMB 179 (one adult + one child family ticket)
- Booking: Via the “深圳天宮闕航天樂園” WeChat mini-program