Magna Science Adventure Centre

What Magna Science Adventure Centre does

Magna Science Adventure Centre is a registered charity (No. 1074578) and company limited by guarantee operating a science and heritage discovery attraction inside the former Templeborough steelworks in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Founded in April 2001, the venue houses four themed pavilions (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) with over 100 hands-on exhibits and is anchored by the Big Melt show, a 12-minute pyrotechnic demonstration staged on the original 'E' electric arc furnace. A wholly-owned trading subsidiary, Magna Enterprises Ltd, runs commercial activities alongside the charity.

The core audience is regional families with children and KS1–KS3 school groups, supplemented by uniformed organisations, home educators, and SEND cohorts served through curriculum-linked STEM workshops. Recent additions include Sci-Tek (outdoor adventure playground), Aqua-Tek (seasonal splash park), and England's first Newton Room — an aviation-STEM facility with three flight simulators delivered under licence from FIRST Scandinavia. Adult and corporate programming (Christmas party nights at £94.95/head, darts nights, K-POP Live, venue hire) and on-site F&B and retail round out the offer.

Revenue is generated through day tickets (~£17–22 adult/child), annual passes (free upgrade on full-price ticket), school visits at £7–£7.50 per pupil, corporate/private events, venue hire, gift shop, and Refuel Café. Partnerships with the RAF, Edina Trust, Heritage Lottery Fund, and FIRST Scandinavia provide both subsidy (e.g., 200 RAF-funded Year 5–6 places) and curatorial support, including the Steelos Gallery. The business model is a hybrid of consumer gate receipts and institutional/educational grant-funded traffic, with no disclosed external equity raise and a headcount of 11–50 staff.

Name

Magna Science Adventure Centre

Legal name

Magna Trust

Website

https://visitmagna.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Magna is a South Yorkshire science discovery centre inside a former steelworks, serving regional families and KS1–KS3 schools with four themed pavilions, hands-on STEM exhibits, the Big Melt arc-furnace show, and a growing Newton Room aviation programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Museum and Visitor Attraction

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Family Entertainment Centers & Indoor Amusement (Arcades, Trampoline Parks, Indoor Play) (THAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Interactive science exhibits
• STEM education workshops
• School visit programmes
• Corporate event venue hire
• Industrial heritage museum

Headquarters

HQ city

Templeborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Day admission tickets to the science adventure centre with online and on-the-door pricing. Includes access to all pavilions, outdoor play areas (Sci-Tek and Aqua-Tek), and the Big Melt show.
2. Annual Pass (Many Magna Returns): Free annual pass upgrade with full-price ticket purchase, providing 12 months of unlimited re-entry. Generates ancillary revenue through repeat visits and food/beverage purchases.
3. Christmas Party Events: All-inclusive Christmas party nights (£94.95 per person) featuring dinner, drinks, DJ, dodgems and fairground rides. Also Drag Me to the 80s (£49.95 per person) and Lunch with Santa events.
4. School Education Visits: Term-time school visits at reduced rates (£7.00-£7.50 per pupil ex VAT) plus optional workshops (£3.00) and forge demonstrations (£1.50). Booking through education team.
5. Estate Rentals and Venue Hire: Corporate events, private hire, and venue rentals providing financial support for charity operations. Includes darts events, concerts, and corporate functions.
6. Food and Beverage (Refuel Café): On-site café serving hot food weekends and school holidays, with reduced menu during term-time. Also picnics welcome in dedicated areas.
7. Gift Shop and Souvenirs: On-site gift shop with souvenirs and small gifts. Cashless venue, card payments only.
8. Gift Vouchers: Digital gift vouchers valid for 12 months, redeemable against admission tickets only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Magna Science Adventure Centre operates a hands-on visitor attraction housed in the former Templeborough steelworks in South Yorkshire, featuring four themed pavilions (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) with over 100 interactive science exhibits, the Big Melt sound and light show, the Newton Room with three flight simulators, and outdoor play areas (Sci-Tek and Aqua-Tek). It delivers curriculum-linked STEM education workshops for schools, hosts corporate events and themed party nights, and offers heritage tours of the historic steelworks site. The attraction is operated by the Magna Trust, a registered charity (No. 1074578), and supported by its trading subsidiary Magna Enterprises Ltd.

Product overview

Magna Science Adventure Centre is a visitor attraction set in the former Templeborough steelworks, featuring a unified experience built around four interactive pavilions (Air, Fire, Water, Earth), the Big Melt Show, outdoor play areas (Sci-Tek and Aqua-Tek), and the Newton Flight School with flight simulators. The core product consists of hands-on science exhibits across the themed pavilions, complemented by education workshops, steel heritage tours, and dining facilities. Additional offerings include annual passes, gift vouchers, school programmes, and venue hire for corporate events and themed party nights. The attraction also hosts seasonal events including summer activities, Christmas parties, and concerts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Four Themed Pavilions (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) Interactive exhibition pavilions themed around the four classical elements needed for steelmaking, featuring over 100 hands-on science exhibits for families and school groups exploring forces, sound, heating, magnetism, water properties, quarrying and mechanical diggers.
• The Big Melt Show A 12-minute spectacular sound and light show recreating the steelmaking process using the original 'E' electric arc furnace with smoke, sparks, flames and original soundtrack, included with admission.
• Sci-Tek Adventure Playground Large outdoor adventure playground with spinning bowls, tilted roundabouts, twisted slides, rockets and castles, included with all admission tickets.
• Aqua-Tek Splash Park Seasonal outdoor water play zone with water cannons, spray arches and geysers, open in summer months and included with admission tickets.
• Newton Flight School England's first Newton Room featuring three flight simulators delivering aviation-themed STEM sessions for school groups, uniform groups, corporate bookings and families, including the Newton Adventure programme.
• Education Workshops Programme Curriculum-linked hands-on workshops for KS1, KS2, KS3 and SEND groups covering topics such as Big Circuits, CSI-Who Dunnit, Dinosaur Dig, Forge Demonstration, Genes in a Bottle, Hot Air Balloons, Light, Living Steel, Magnets, Sound, The Forces Show and Water Rockets.
• Steel Heritage Tours Guided tours led by steel heritage experts exploring the history of the Templeborough site from Roman times to the present, including the Steelos Gallery supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
• Corporate Events and Party Nights Venue hire for corporate events, team-building activities and themed party nights including the Eat Bump Groove Christmas party and special events such as K-Pop Live and darts tournaments.
• Uniform Groups and Badge Days Special packages for Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, Rainbows and Brownies including Science Badge Days where children earn badges through interactive exhibits and workshops.
• Many Magna Returns Annual Pass Free annual pass included with full-price admission tickets, providing 12 months of free re-entry to the attraction and outdoor play areas.
• Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers purchased online, valid for 12 months and redeemable against general admission tickets.
• Refuel Café On-site café serving hot food from 10am-3pm on weekends and school holidays with gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free options, plus a designated picnic area for visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 visitors once worked at the Templeborough steelworks site - preserved industrial heritage for future generations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Air Force (RAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAF STEM Learning Day sponsorship providing 200 free spaces for Year 5-6 students with free admission and two free workshops. Supports RAF youth STEM initiatives and promotes aviation careers to young people.
• The Edina TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing project supported by Edina Trust, aligning values and missions for STEM education initiatives at Magna Science Adventure Centre.
• FIRST ScandinaviacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit foundation owning and developing the Newton Concept. FIRST Scandinavia has developed and implemented STEM concepts for over 500,000 children since 2000. Magna's Newton Room is England's first, delivering aviation-themed STEM education modules.
• Heritage Lottery FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the Steelos Gallery exhibition charting the history of the site from Roman times to present day. Part of heritage preservation mission.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Techniquest: Wales's leading science discovery centre in Cardiff, operating hands-on STEM exhibits, a planetarium, and school education programmes. Directly comparable to Magna in mission (interactive science learning), audience (families and schools), and revenue mix (admissions, education visits, memberships).
• Life Science Centre: Newcastle-based interactive science centre with hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, and a strong schools programme. Closely comparable to Magna on the core visitor attraction-plus-STEM-education model and reliance on regional day-trip family audiences.
• Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum: Birmingham's hands-on science museum featuring interactive galleries and a strong school-visit programme. Comparable as a UK city-region science centre serving families and curriculum-linked school groups with a similar admissions-plus-workshops revenue model.
• National Space Centre: Leicester visitor attraction combining space-science exhibits, a planetarium, and educational programming. Comparable to Magna's themed-pavilion exhibit structure with 100+ hands-on experiences and a heavy school-trips business.
• Eureka! The National Children's Museum: Halifax-based hands-on children's museum designed for under-11s, with educational programmes for schools and a focused family visitor base. Comparable to Magna's family-and-school STEM proposition with similar workshop-driven economics.
• The Deep: Aquarium and education centre in Hull combining living exhibits with school learning programmes. Comparable as a Northern England visitor attraction with a strong school bookings channel and theme-driven interactive exhibits.
• Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre: Visitor centre at the Jodrell Bank observatory combining science exhibits, family experiences, and curriculum-linked education. Comparable on STEM-flavoured family days-out with school engagement, served from a regional rather than national base.
• Science and Industry Museum (Manchester): Manchester museum covering industrial heritage and applied science with strong school programming. Closely comparable to Magna's industrial-heritage narrative (former steelworks) plus STEM education mix.

Broad incumbents

• Science Museum Group (London): The UK's flagship science museum operator running multiple national venues with extensive school programming and exhibits. Comparable as the dominant UK science-centre portfolio operator — broader and more resourced, but addressing the same family-and-school STEM audience.

Regional players

• Royal Air Force Museum (Cosford / London): Heritage aviation museums with school STEM programmes and active RAF sponsorship. Comparable because Magna already partners with the RAF for the Newton Flight School — same aviation-STEM crossover and similar school-engagement funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/magnascience
• Facebookfacebook.com/magnascience
• Instagraminstagram.com/magnascience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magnascience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Magna Science Adventure Centre