Immaginario scientifico

The idea was conceived in 1985 during the planning of the science section of the "Trouver Trieste" exhibition at La Villette, in Paris, in May 1986 - Imaginaire Scientifique presented research conducted in Trieste's various scientific institutes. After appearing in several locations, the exhibition returned to Trieste in 1988 to form the nucleus of an interactive science museum in Italy.

The museum features original display methods and innovative techniques to stimulate learning - the objects in the exhibition can be handled as an aid to understanding natural phenomena and the physical laws that govern them. The interactive displays are accompanied by evocative music to create a unique fusion of scientific material and emotional involvement.
The fascinating planetarium simulates sunrises and sunsets, constellations and the apparent nightly and seasonal movements of the stars, helping children understand the wonders of stellar motion.

The museum also offers interesting programmes to introduce children to science. On Sunday afternoons from October to May, children between the ages of 5 and 10 can have fun at workshops with entertaining educational activities. Children also have the opportunity to spend a night in the museum, as in the famous film, learning about and enjoying science and nature, without parents but accompanied by an important figure in the history of science.

Since October 2020, the Scientific Imaginary of Trieste has been located in Magazzino 26 in Porto Vecchio.

The new Immaginario features multimedia spaces, immersive and engaging, which blend harmoniously into the building that houses them: the renovated Warehouse 26 is an impressive and prestigious place, with architectural elements, environments and atmospheres deeply linked to the history and culture of the city. Here there is space for interactive devices to be touched by hand, to discover not only natural phenomena but the most innovative applications of science and the research activities of the entities of the Trieste scientific system.

The museum is divided into three main sections: Trieste and Science, where the research that is born and develops in the local institutes of excellence is illustrated in a participatory way; Fenomena, a section where the "hands-on exhibits" find space, to experiment with basic science; Innova, where the most advanced technologies of applied research are explored.

These are flanked by two special sections: Imaginaire Scientifique, an immersive space in which to take a journey into the most evocative images of science, and the Planetarium, where they can make fascinating visits to the celestial vault.