Hevelianum — Science Center & Nightlife on Castle Hill

A 19th-century fort and a children’s science center might seem like an odd pairing at first glance, but in Gdansk, Poland, it works surprisingly well. Hevelianum is located within the former fortifications on Góra Gradowa—artillery shelters and bunkers stand side by side with interactive stations where kids can play with physics, all under one of the city’s best panoramic views.

90 interactive stations – not just for looking

The permanent exhibition features seven thematic sections—Around the World, Puzzle, With Energy!, Creative Playground, Movement Lab, Hevelianum Without Barriers, and Play with History—with 90 hands-on interactive stations. This isn’t a museum where you walk through and read labels: most exhibits need to be activated, pushed, or solved yourself, making a huge difference for children who typically get bored after half an hour standing in front of display cases.

Time Machine — the history of the fort for free

A separate, free tour takes you through restored bunkers, former artillery barracks, and ammunition laboratories. Fourteen points tell the story of three sieges of Gdańsk—1734, 1807, and 1813—and the fortress itself, which for most of its existence had nothing to do with science or entertainment. It’s worth a visit even if your main goal is the interactive exhibitions—it’s an extra hour that costs nothing.

Tickets and Hours

A regular ticket costs 25 zł, a reduced ticket 15 zł — the discount applies to children aged 4–18, students, people with disabilities, and seniors over 65. Children under 3 enter free of charge, and organized groups of at least 10 people receive a 15% discount.

Mondays are closed to individual visitors — only three exhibitions are open, and exclusively for organized groups between 10:00–14:00. If planning a solo visit, choose another day of the week.

View from Góra Gradowej

The fortress itself stands on a hill about 46 meters high, which in Gdańsk’s flat city center is enough to see quite a lot—the port, the Main Town and Old Town, and the towers of St. Mary’s Basilica and the town hall visible from afar. If you have a camera with you, it’s worth planning your exit from Hevelianum so that you stop for a moment on the viewing terrace before heading back down into the center.

How to Get There

Hevelianum is literally next to the train station — it’s about a 15-minute walk from Gdańsk Główny, but the entire route goes uphill: a steep, cobblestone path behind the court building on 3 Maja Street. This is the only drawback of this location — on your return trip with tired children, plan for a longer break at the bottom.

If you’re staying at Bastion Wałowa, it’s about a 20-minute walk total — the same 5 minutes to Gdańsk Główny that separate you from the station on any other train journey, plus those 15 minutes uphill.

For Whom

Hevelianum works best for school-aged children—old enough to operate the exhibits independently but still curious about physics presented as play rather than a lecture. It’s also a great option for rainy days in Gdansk—most of the displays are indoors, and the Time Machine takes you through buildings, so weather won’t ruin your plans. For more ideas on what to do on a rainy day, check out → Gdansk: What to Do on a Rainy Day, and if you’re planning an entire trip focused on children, see our broader guide → Gdansk with Children.

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Planning a stay with kids and looking for accommodation near the center so these trips don’t eat up your whole day? Check out apartments in Bastion Wałowa or contact our concierge—we’ll help you plan your sightseeing.