SMG Science Center Services GmbH

Welcome to the Odysseum Cologne. The Odysseum Cologne is a unique science center that enables visitors to jump into different worlds and explore the wonders of science. Life. Knowledge. Future. These are the center’s three leading themes.

The Odysseum Cologne playfully addresses complex and future-related questions, and provides answers in an entertaining way. This makes the Odysseum Cologne a special attraction that quenches the inquisitiveness of children, and their parents as well.

A visit to Odysseum Cologne is a journey through four major themed rooms. The journey begins in the central plaza, by boarding a transmission capsule and viewing a pre-show. Visitors are then transported from their daily life into the world of science. Theme room one opens: giant trees, pre-historic ferns, and exotic flowers welcome the guests— they are standing in a Jurassic jungle. In this environment, guests explore and experience exhibits that address concepts such as biological evolution, genes, and genotype; sexuality and attraction; and brain and perception—all within a fun and exciting landscape. Behind the pre-historic rocks, a full-scale interactive Tyrannosaurus Rex “plays” with the explorers. Leaving the Jurassic jungle, visitors ride another capsule to the Earth’s orbit. After emerging from the capsule into a space station, guests walk down a ramp that encircles a giant globe. Here, they can examine their home planet. Visitors play on exhibits with themes such as the Earth and the cosmos; globalisation; and physics, technology, and logic. In a third capsule, visitors leave the cosmos and enter the inside of a computer: Welcome to Cyberspace! It’s a bright, spherical room, where virtual reality becomes real! Visitors can try out cryptographic “hacking”; build their own humanoids; and find out lots about the world of computers, information, and robotics. A mirror maze provides the exit from the binary world. After successfully navigating their final passageway, visitors enter a lab. Here, they can experiment with medicine and genetics, and discover more about food. Upon leaving the lab, visitors find themselves on a harbor dock. A large exploratory ship awaits them for boarding! Aboard ship, an interactive movie allows science travelers to steer towards their own future, based on the decisions they make along their voyage.

Back to daily life, visitors return to the central plaza and are free to replenish themselves at the on-site bistro or restaurant, and to shop at the Odysseum gift shop. For children, another room offers a complete city of exploration–including an auto mechanic shop, a construction site, a TV studio, a high-wire trail, and a gift shop. An adjacent outside area also awaits the kids. A water playground, a lorry track, and many more fun activities await the smallest explorers. On the plaza’s upper level, Odysseum visitors find the “Lounges of Knowledge,” which provide further information about each exhibition. An exploration of the “Gallery of the World” and a rotating exhibit round up the visit to the Odysseum.

Odysseum Cologne opened in Spring 2009. It is managed by an SMG division that specializes in managing science centers, museums, and brand worlds: SMG Science Center Services.