Explorium Ireland National Sport & Science Centre

What Explorium Ireland National Sport & Science Centre does

Explorium Ireland National Sport & Science Centre operates a 110,000 sq. ft. purpose-built visitor attraction in Sandyford, Dublin 18, positioned as Ireland's National Science Centre. The venue combines 250+ interactive science exhibits with physical activity infrastructure (climbing walls, VR systems) across three age-segmented zones: Junior Explorium (ages 2-7), the Science Centre (ages 8+), and the Activities Zone (climbing and VR, ages 6 to adult). It draws 300,000+ annual visitors and maintains a 4.5/5 rating across 1,600+ Google reviews.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer attraction, selling timed-entry tickets through its own website booking system (ecom.roller.app) with on-site reception sales as backup. Revenue is generated across seven streams: general admission tickets, themed birthday party packages (Science, Junior, Urban Climbing, Conquer Your Fears), corporate team-building events (including a 110-seat venue and full catering), curriculum-linked school tours, gift cards, Junior Science Summer Camps (launched July 2025 for ages 5-8), and on-site dining at The Tasting Lab restaurant and Curiosity Café. Customer segments span families, schools, corporate groups, birthday party hosts, and accessibility-focused visitors, with dedicated sensory room and sensory sessions serving neurodivergent and mobility-impaired guests.

The underlying technology is interactive exhibit hardware rather than a software platform. Core components include commercial augmented reality (AR Dinosaur Experience), virtual reality (360 Ride, Immersive Bike VR, Rollercoaster, Beat Hero), robotics demonstrations (Robo Dog), and a carbon footprint calculator exhibit. The venue integrates commercially procured tools for marketing automation (Active Campaign), analytics (Google Analytics), chat (Tidio), and GDPR consent (Complianz), and maintains WCAG 2.2 AA and GDPR compliance. Marketing is multi-channel across website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, email, and event participation (Dublin Maker 2025, STEMtacular 2026). The entity is privately held under Explorium Limited, an Irish private limited company, with no disclosed venture capital or institutional funding.

Name

Explorium Ireland National Sport & Science Centre

Legal name

Explorium Limited

Website

https://explorium.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Explorium Ireland National Sport & Science Centre operates a 110,000 sq. ft. direct-to-consumer visitor attraction in Dublin combining 250+ interactive science exhibits, climbing walls, and VR experiences across three age-segmented zones, serving 300,000+ annual families, schools, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Centre & Visitor Attraction

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Amusement and Theme Parks (713110), Museums (712110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Family Entertainment Centers (Indoor развлечения: Arcade, Soft Play, Party Centers) (THAJAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Entertainment Centers & Indoor Amusement (Arcades, Trampoline Parks, Indoor Play) (THAAAAAD), Children’s Museums (THAJADAE), Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB)

Keywords

• Interactive science exhibits
• Family visitor attraction
• STEM education centre
• Birthday party packages
• Corporate team building

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: Visitors purchase timed entry tickets to access different zones: Junior Explorium (ages 2-7), Science Centre (ages 8+), and Activities (climbing and VR for ages 6+). Tickets are non-refundable and valid for specific date/time slots.
2. Birthday Party Packages: Themed birthday party experiences including Science Party, Junior Party, Urban Climbing Party, and Conquer Your Fears Party. Each package includes a dedicated host, private party room, activity access, and catering options.
3. Corporate Events: Team-building programs and corporate event packages for businesses. Includes use of facilities, catering options ranging from light bites to full corporate dining, and meeting spaces for up to 110 seats.
4. School Tours: Curriculum-linked STEM workshops and educational visits for school groups. Teachers receive planning support, risk assessments, and free entry for teachers and SNAs.
5. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available online, physical cards purchased at reception. Gift vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash but can be used for any Explorium product (excluding food outlets).
6. Summer Camps: Junior Science Summer Camp for children aged 5-8 featuring hands-on experiments, AR experiences, and science activities.
7. Dining Services: On-site food and beverage operations including The Tasting Lab restaurant and Curiosity Café at Junior Explorium. Also offers catering packages for schools, birthday parties, and corporate events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Explorium operates a 110,000 sq. ft. indoor visitor attraction in Dublin combining 250+ interactive science exhibits, physical adventure activities (climbing walls and VR), and dedicated play zones for young children. The venue sells timed-entry tickets across three zones (Junior Explorium for ages 2-7, Science Centre for ages 8+, and Activities Zone for climbing and VR), and packages themed experiences including birthday parties, school tours, corporate events, and summer camps.

Product overview

Explorium Ireland National Sport & Science Centre is a 110,000 sq. ft. science and sport visitor attraction in Dublin, operating as a unified platform with three core zones (Science Zone, Junior Explorium, and Activities Zone) plus add-on services. The Science Zone features 250+ interactive exhibits including robotics shows and lightning demonstrations; Junior Explorium serves children aged 2-7 with play zones and science activities; Activities Zone offers climbing walls and VR experiences. Additional offerings include Sensory Sessions, Birthday Parties, School Tours, Corporate Events, and dining at The Tasting Lab and Curiosity Café. The venue hosts special programs including Junior Science Summer Camps and participates in community events like Dublin Maker and STEMtacular.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Science Zone

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.5/5 rating from 1,600+ reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• STEMtacularminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 March 2026Explorium attended STEMtacular 2026 in Leitrim as an outreach event. Team set up stall in Discovery Zone showcasing hands-on science exhibits including robot dog demonstrations. Engaged with over 1,000 primary school students across two days.
• Dublin MakerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 August 2025Explorium participated in Dublin Maker 2025 festival at Leopardstown Racecourse. The company ran a Makers Lab with hands-on Shrinky Dinks workshops combining art and chemistry. Festival featured 60+ maker stands, 15+ outdoor exhibits, and 2 days of workshops.
• Mellon EducateminorOthersCharity partner relationship. Explorium sends marketing communications about upcoming events and experiences, and updates on their charity partners including Mellon Educate.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Space Centre: Leicester-based science attraction featuring interactive exhibits, a planetarium, and immersive simulators. Comparable in blending science exhibits with VR/immersive technology experiences for families and schools.
• Imaginosity Children's Museum: Dublin-based children's discovery museum focused on interactive play and learning for under-9s. Comparable Junior Explorium segment with similar family-entertainment-and-education positioning, geographically overlapping.
• Techniquest: Wales's longest-established science discovery centre featuring interactive STEM exhibits and a dedicated under-7 zone. Closely comparable in mission, exhibit format, and school-group programming model.
• W5 Interactive Discovery Centre: Belfast-based interactive science and discovery centre with over 250 hands-on exhibits across multiple zones. Closest direct comparable to Explorium in scale, format, and STEM-education mission, operating in nearby Northern Ireland.
• Glasgow Science Centre: Major UK science centre with interactive exhibits, an IMAX cinema, and a planetarium. Comparable in combining STEM education with entertainment experiences, though larger and more established than Explorium.
• Eureka! The National Children's Museum: UK's national children's museum in Halifax with hands-on learning exhibits for ages 0-11. Closely comparable family-focused, school-tour-driven, and accessibility-emphasising operating model.

Broad incumbents

• LEGOLAND Discovery Centre: Chain of indoor family entertainment centres combining LEGO-themed rides, 4D cinema, and play areas. Comparable indoor family entertainment centre format and target audience, but operates as a global branded franchise rather than a national science centre.
• Science Museum (London): Iconic much larger-scale science museum complex with deep interactive exhibits and global tourism draw. Comparable category but materially larger scale, broader scope, and substantially different operating scale than Explorium.
• Madame Tussauds: Global chain of wax figure attractions with timed-entry, ticketed, indoor family entertainment format. Comparable as a paid-admission indoor attraction, but operates in a completely different content category (celebrity figures vs. science).

Regional players

• Questacon — National Science and Technology Centre: Australia's national science centre in Canberra featuring 200+ interactive exhibits. Closest international comparable as another government-supported national science centre, but located in a different geography and does not compete in the Irish market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ExploriumI
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@exploriumireland68
• Facebookfacebook.com/Explorium-Irelands-National-Sports-and-Science-Centre-61556023642355
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explorium-ireland
• Instagraminstagram.com/explorium_ireland/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@explorium4

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Explorium Ireland National Sport & Science Centre