The National Museum of Natural Science (國立自然科學博物館), known locally as Keboguan (科博館), is Taichung's big family museum and one of the best rainy-day plans in the city. The main ticket covers three permanent halls: Life Science, Human Culture and Earth Environment. Add the Space Theater, the Miracle Soar Theater or the tropical rainforest greenhouse in the Botanical Garden as you like; each has its own small ticket.
- Hours Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 17:00; tickets sold until 16:30
- Closed Mondays (open when a Monday is a national or make-up holiday), Lunar New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year
- Entry Exhibition halls NT$120; children 6 to 11 NT$60; under 6 free
- Address No. 1, Guanqian Rd., North District
- Getting there Taiwan Boulevard city buses 300 to 310 to 科博館(專用道), or bus 159 from HSR Taichung Station to Botanical Garden (植物園)
Tickets
Each part of the museum is ticketed separately. Prices since 1 July 2025, in NT$:
| Ticket | Exhibition halls | Space Theater | Miracle Soar Theater | Rainforest greenhouse | Science Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 120 | 100 | 70 | 20 | 20 |
| Student 12 and over | 90 | 100 | 70 | 20 | 20 |
| Child 6 to 11 | 60 | 100 | 70 | 10 | 10 |
| Child under 6 | Free | 50 | 30 | Free | Free |
| 65 and over, weekends and holidays | 60 | 50 | 35 | 10 | 10 |
Visitors 65 and over get in free on weekdays, and people with disabilities get in free with one companion. Through the end of 2026, the museum's 40th anniversary year, the exhibition halls are free every Friday from 14:00 to 17:00. Free days in 2027 include 1 January and 18 May (International Museum Day); the theaters and paid special exhibitions are not included.
What to see
- The exhibition halls. Life Science (生命科學廳), Human Culture (人類文化廳) and Earth Environment (地球環境廳), which now includes Treasures of the Earth (大地瑰寶), a mineral gallery added in 2025.
- Space Theater (太空劇場). Its own ticket, NT$100.
- Miracle Soar Theater (必可飛劇場). The former 3D theater, renamed in July 2025 when it stopped showing 3D films.
- The rainforest greenhouse. A glass greenhouse 31 meters tall, planted with about 500 species of tropical lowland rainforest, with a viewing deck on the 8th floor and free guided tours at 11:00 and 14:00. It stands in the Botanical Garden across the road from the halls.
Good to know: the museum is mid-renovation in places. The General Service Center has been closed for work since February 2025 and the air-conditioning is being replaced, so expect the odd closed corner. On election day, Saturday 28 November 2026, it opens only from 13:00 to 17:00.
Getting there
There is no MRT station beside the museum. City buses are the easy way:
- Bus Taiwan Boulevard: routes 300 to 310, which run along Taiwan Boulevard past Taichung Station and Taichung City Hall, stop at the museum (科博館(專用道)).
- HSR From HSR Taichung Station: bus 159 from Exit 6, platform 13, to Botanical Garden (植物園(西屯路)). Or take the MRT to Taichung City Hall Station (Green Line, 110) and change to a Taiwan Boulevard bus at Taichung City Hall (市政府(專用道)).
- TRA From Taichung Station: a Taiwan Boulevard bus (300 to 310) to 科博館(專用道).
The museum sits at the north end of the Calligraphy Greenway, so you can walk south along the park to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. → How Taichung's buses work
The 921 Earthquake Museum
The museum also runs the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan (921地震教育園區) in Wufeng, about the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake (the 921 earthquake). It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and costs NT$50 (children 6 to 11 NT$25). Take bus 151 from HSR Taichung Station (platform 14) to Kengkou Village (坑口里(光復新村)), then walk 10 to 15 minutes along Xinsheng Road. → More Taichung museums
→ North Taichung · A rainy day in Taichung · Taichung with kids · Things to do
Sources
National Museum of Natural Science: hours, tickets, free admission days, 2025 changes and renovation, election day hours, rainforest greenhouse, transport and 921 Earthquake Museum pages. Bus 159 stops from Taichung City Bus. Checked October 2026.