Technorama Outdoors: A Museum Made for Summer

The Museum Moves Outdoors

Five tons of water plunge to the ground as the world’s largest water drop crashes down below us. Standing on the viewing platform, we’re soaked within seconds. The kids can’t stop laughing. On a day with temperatures topping 30°C, it’s the perfect way to begin a family outing.

If you’ve always thought of Technorama as a rainy-day attraction, think again. Summer reveals an entirely different side. More than 30 outdoor exhibits are scattered among a stream, meadows and trees – and many of them revolve around one thing: water. The “Captured Cloud” is one of the first stops. A fine mist drifts between two curved steel walls, created by 300 high-pressure nozzles. The kids disappear into the cloud while I can barely see my own hand in front of me. Then comes the surprise. It’s not just water at work here. Speak a few words and you’ll hear how the curved walls bend and reflect sound in unexpected ways.

Just as our T-shirts begin to dry, it starts raining again – only this time, it’s under an umbrella. At the “Musical Downpour,” thousands of raindrops transform every shower into a different soundscape. A few steps later, the kids race through the “Water Hoppers” before creating music with water at the “Splash Sounds” exhibit. At the “Floating Tap,” they can’t stop wondering: Where is the water coming from? And could it really be possible to move the eight-ton stone sculptures at the “Dancing Stones” exhibit using nothing but your own strength?

Full Force

The undisputed favorite, though, is the wind machine. The kids get to choose everything from a gentle breeze to full storm-force winds. Goggles on. Push the button. Then do it all over again. Nearly half an hour disappears here alone. No other exhibit keeps them entertained for longer.

Eventually, hunger wins out. The food trailer serves Dürüm, fresh salads, drinks and of course, ice cream. Nearby, sausages sizzle over the grills and anyone inspired to cook their own can pick up chipolatas, bratwurst and other barbecue favorites right on site. Families looking for an indoor break can head to the restaurant for the daily buffet or one of the rotating lunch specials. We enjoy a fresh salad while the kids are already eyeing their next adventure.

We Almost Forgot to Go Inside

Refueled, the kids head straight back to the water. At the pond, they pump water into and out of the Caterpillar Pump before teaming up at the tricky “Target Fountain”, where figuring out how to hit the mark turns into a challenge all its own. By now, wet T-shirts and soaked shorts are simply part of the experience. Luckily, as the afternoon slips by, drying stations are not far away.

After one last spin on the Boyo and a quick “Moonwalk”, we finally head indoors for the electricity show. Only as we leave Technorama do we realize we’ve spent almost six hours here – and most of that time wasn’t inside a museum at all, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, it was spent outdoors, surrounded by water, wind and clouds. Who would have thought one of the coolest summer days we’d have all season would happen at a museum?