Booking & info
We're currently taking bookings for the Autumn term 23/24 onwards
Please note that due to a fire on 9 April, we're closed for the next few months. If you've booked a visit during this time our team will be in touch with you to rearrange.
On this page you'll be able to find full and detailed information about how to plan your visit to We The Curious, including; prices and opening times, making a booking or enquiry, how to pay, maps, key information, and what you'll need to know for the day.
If you'd like to download all of this information in one document, please click on the link below. Or, you can read the information in the sections below on this page.
1. Prices
2. Making a booking or enquiry
3. How to pay
4. Maps
5. Key information
6. On the day
Contact us
At this time we are only able to take online bookings. For any enquiries please email education@wethecurious.org and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
1. Prices
Creating a rewarding and exciting day in We The Curious is easy.
Remember that teachers are entitled to free teacher planning visits - including one per year for your immediate family. There is no need to book, just bring school ID. See Key Information below for further details.
For Home Educator prices please visit our Home Educator page
The prices shown below are for the current and next academic year.
Term-time rates | 22/23 price (per head) | Details |
---|---|---|
Student admission | £6.50 | Ratios for free accompanying adults: |
EYFS - 1:3 KS1 – 1:5 KS2 to 5 – 1:10 | ||
Additional adults: £6.50 | ||
All 1:1 carers free of charge | ||
Additional activities (only available in combination with general admission) | ||
Workshops | £3.50 | Group size 12 min – 30 max |
Studio Shows | N/A | Group size 15 min – 70 max |
Planetarium Shows | £3.50 | Group size 92 max (including adults) |
£3.50 | Many shows available as 2D and 3D | |
*3D shows unsuitable for under 6s | ||
Combination deals (price includes general admission at £5.75) | ||
Theme Days | £14.00 | Group size min 12 - max 60 |
A Question of Taste Post 16 Theme Day | £17.00 | Group size min 12 - max 30 |
Special package deal: Admission, Workshop/Show and Planetarium show | £11.00 | excludes March, June and July |
(*£9.45 with 2D Planetarium show) | ||
ONLINE SESSIONS | ||
Online Workshop | £80.00 per class | |
Online A Question of Taste (Post 16) | £10.00 per head | |
Group rates and other special deals | ||
Teachers’ ‘Away Day’ INSET offer | £200 | Booking group of 30. For larger groups please call. Includes dedicated meeting room, Workshop and Planetarium show. |
Trainee teacher group visit | £85 | Booking group of 5-49. Includes a 45 min presentation. Additional charge for Workshops and Planetarium. |
£120 | Booking group of 50-70. Includes a 45 min presentation. Additional charge for Workshops and Planetarium. | |
We The Curious Takeaways Portable exhibits | £90 + VAT per week | Set of 8 portable exhibits. Collection only |
Nursery / Preschool child admission | £6.50 | Ratios for free accompanying adults: |
1 free adult per 3 paying children | ||
Additional staff £6.50 | ||
All 1:1 personal assistants free of charge | ||
Holiday and weekend rates | Details | |
Student admission | £7.00 | Ratios for free accompanying adults: |
EYFS - 1:3 KS1 – 1:5 KS2 to 5 – 1:10 | ||
Additional staff £7.00 | ||
All 1:1 personal assistants free of charge |
2. Making a booking or enquiry
Having the following information handy will help us to process your booking more quickly:
Preferred date/s for your visit (it may be useful to have a few options available).
- Staff contact details (email, phone number and school address plus email for invoicing, if different).
Number and ages / year group of students.
Number of accompanying adults (please specify if this includes any 1:1 carers).
Preferred arrival and departure times.
Details of any workshops, theme days or shows you are interested in.
Details of any special or additional needs, and how we can best support your visit.
Parking requirements: Minibus places are limited and will need to be booked in advance.
Gift shop time or goody bags required. These can be booked in advance to make your visit easier.
A few tips for a smooth and enjoyable visit:
Plan your day’s schedule with the help of our Bookings Team: This could include the selection and timing of activities, minibus parking, access arrangements, suitable time in the exhibition, and lunch and shop visits.
Check that your school finance department has arranged payment before you visit. Payment must be provided in advance.
Book minibus parking in advance, as spaces are limited.
Come on a free teacher planning visit at any time to explore the exhibitions and complete your own risk assessments. Just bring your school ID. See ‘Key Info’ below for full details.
Print out venue maps, School Visit Safety and Code of Conduct statements for all your accompanying adults.
Allow sufficient travelling time, as late arrivals can cause difficulties for scheduled activities. We will always do our best to be flexible in the event of a delayed arrival, but this may not always be possible.
Ensure that you have sufficient accompanying adults to remain with students in a supervisory / supportive role in workshops, shows and exhibition spaces (see our Code of Conduct for further guidance).
3. How to Pay
Payment to be made in advance by BACS transfer, cheque, credit or debit card or by purchase order number.
Once your booking has been confirmed we will email you a pro-forma invoice and payment details, along with a schedule for your day and additional information to help make your visit a success. We can include your school’s finance team in this email - just provide a suitable email address.
If providing a Purchase Order, please do so before your visit. This will allow us to issue a final invoice after your visit.
Please quote your booking reference number in all correspondence. This can be found on your booking confirmation/pro forma invoice.
Terms and conditions:
Payment in advance: We require full payment to be made or a Purchase Order number to be provided before the day of your visit. This means less admin when you arrive!
Group sizes: A minimum number is required for group activities, and a minimum group size charge will be applied to all bookings below this number (except in the case of groups with special needs – see information below).
Changes & cancellations: Please tell us as soon as possible if you wish to alter or cancel your booking.
If your booking is cancelled the admission part of your visit would not be charged, however less than 2 weeks before your visit, you would be charged 50% of all booked activities. If your booking is cancelled less than one week before your visit, you would be charged 100% of all booked activities. For Theme days you are eligible to pay a £50 fee should you cancel your booking once the booking has been confimed.Refunds: As a registered charity we are unable to offer refunds in the event of over-payment. However, we can provide a credit to your account for the ‘general admission’ part of your visit.
Late arrivals: If you are running late please phone ahead and let us know (on 0117 915 7777). We will always do our best to adjust timings of activities where we can, though this cannot be guaranteed. Please note that Planetarium shows cannot be changed due to scheduling of shows.
Personal belongings: We cannot accept responsibility for valuables or other belongings.
4. Maps
Also hosted in our Resources section.
Never been to us before? Check out this handy map of the We The Curious site help you orientate yourself.
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Bristol Clean Air Zone: Please note, we’re within the Bristol Clean Air Zone, so you may incur a fee if you use a vehicle to visit us. Please visit our FAQs, or the Clean Air Bristol website for more info.
Alternatives: There are plenty of alternative ways to reach us. We’re very central, so you can reach us on foot, by bike, on the bus, by train and ferry.
5. Key Information
a) Safety information
Please note that the information provided here does not constitute a full risk assessment (since this will necessarily also require information on the specific details of your own students) but is intended to support your own risk assessment.
In order to ensure the quality and safety of visits to the site, We The Curious has a full set of codes and guidelines covering all aspects of the business and including:
Health and Safety Policy
Risk Assessment Policy, procedure and schedule
First Aid procedures
Lost children/child protection procedures
For general information about the venue and what your visit will feel like our visitor information and FAQs will provide you with everything you need.
b) Free Teacher Planning Visits
All teachers interested in visiting We The Curious with their school group are entitled to free planning visits. This visit will need to be booked in advance, please get in contact and let us know when you are wanting to visit.
You are welcome to use this to learn more about We The Curious in general, or to conduct a risk assessment for a visit you are planning. The maps and other information provided may help with this. Please note that if you wish to visit a Planetarium show, this will be dependent on the day’s schedule and that you will need to purchase tickets.
If you are visiting during the week and would like to speak to a member of the Education Team in more detail about any aspect of the programme we offer, please speak to a member of staff at the Welcome Desk when you arrive, or contact us in advance.
c) Accessibility
We aim to make We The Curious accessible to everyone, and our spaces, exhibits and activities have been designed with this in mind. Whatever your requirements, we will do our best to meet them, and offer free admission for dedicated assistants or carers.
We also have a prayer room available for visitors if booked in advance. Please contact us to pre-book.
Special educational needs
We The Curious is committed to supporting visits for those with special educational needs. We will do our best to adapt workshops and other activities wherever possible, and minimum groups rates are waived.
For further details and to discuss any requirements please discuss with our Education Bookings team at your time of booking who will be able to advise you on how to plan a day to suit your students’ needs.
Visitors with limited mobility and wheelchair users
We The Curious is fully accessible for wheelchair users, with free admission for all 1:1 assistants and carers. This includes the Planetarium, though spaces are limited, so please contact us in advance.
All toilets have disabled access, we also have a brand new Fully Accessible Toilet.
There is level access throughout, with lifts to all floors.
Drop-off points for minibuses and coaches are available, with level access into the venue.
The on-site car park is fully wheelchair accessible, with adapted pay stations and fully-automated doors onto Millennium Square. For vehicles over two metres high, please contact us in advance due to height restrictions.
Wheelchairs can be loaned for the duration of your visit – please contact us in advance.
For laboratory activities we have adjustable lab benches suitable for wheelchair users.
Deaf and hard of hearing visitors
Free admission for dedicated assistants.
For bookings and information, a Minicom system is available on 0117 914 3475.
There is a hearing loop at the Welcome Desk, and in the Planetarium. We hope to have BSL signers available in the future, and will update this page as soon as we can accommodate this.
Blind and partially sighted visitors
Free admission for dedicated, sighted assistants (sighted assistants are recommended for your visit).
Guide and assistance dogs are welcome.
Exhibits have been especially designed to cater for visually impaired visitors; this includes colour contrasts and font size on all the interactive exhibits.
For workshops and other educational activities we can provide printed material in enlarged font sizes as required . Please contact us in advance.
d) Parking
Coach parking and drop offs
Coaches may set down and pick up directly on site, at the rear of the We The Curious building. Coach parking is available at the Bristol Fruit Market: visitbristol.co.uk/about-bristol/travelling-around-bristol/coach-parking
Minibus Parking
Limited minibus parking is available on site. Please contact us to reserve a space on 0117 915 7777. On arrival, head straight to the We The Curious Security Office where a member of our team will direct you to your parking space. See also Maps here.
Bristol Clean Air Zone: Please note, we’re within the Bristol Clean Air Zone, so you may incur a fee if you use a vehicle to visit us. Please visit our FAQs, or the Clean Air Bristol website for more info.
Alternatives: There are plenty of alternative ways to reach us. We’re very central, so you can reach us on foot, by bike, on the bus, by train and ferry.
6. On the day
Arrival:
Coaches may set down and pick up at the rear of Millennium Square by the security office. Unfortunately there is no coach parking available on site. Please see the Map for details.
Minibuses with pre-booked parking should report to the Security Office on arrival.
Enter the venue through the main entrance facing Anchor Square.
Trip leaders should make their way to the Welcome Desk to receive your schedule and to confirm numbers. Note that where payment has not been completed in advance there will be an additional waiting time while tickets are printed.
Welcome Speeches will be given to your group, outlining important information such as the location of your base for the day, lunch arrangements and toilets.
During your visit:
Please remain with your students in a supervisory and supportive role both in the exhibition spaces and during activities such as workshops, since students remain your responsibility throughout your visit.
Our Live Science Team will be on hand to support your students’ learning throughout your visit.
Lunch spaces and storage: All groups are provided with an indoor base as a lunch space and meeting point, plus containers in which to store bags.
Lockers: A limited number of coin-operated, secure lockers are available (£1 coin, returned).
Coats and bags: Each school is allocated a ‘base’ within the venue where there will be large containers to keep bags, coats and lunchboxes (note however that these are not locked).
WiFi will be available during your visit. Details provided on arrival.
Feedback: We always appreciate your thoughts and will provide feedback forms and an SAE.
Need to know anything else?
Please email education@wethecurious.org