National Museum of Natural Science

Taiwan's first science museum, the National Museum of Natural Science occupies a large campus in central Taichung and is one of the most visited museums on the island. Opened in the 1980s as the country's pioneering institution of its kind, it set out to make science engaging for a broad public and remains a firm favourite with families, students and school groups from across Taiwan.

Its scope is wonderfully broad. Sprawling galleries cover the story of life and the cosmos, from the dynamics of the Earth and the diversity of the living world to the cultures of Taiwan and China, and the dinosaur hall, with its animatronic skeletons, is a perennial highlight for younger visitors. A space theatre and a large-format cinema add immersive shows, while hands-on exhibits invite experiment and play.

A tropical greenhouse crowns the site. Attached to the museum is a botanical garden centred on a soaring glass conservatory that recreates the lowland rainforest of southern Taiwan, its humid interior thick with tropical plants and winding paths, a lush contrast to the exhibition halls. Together the indoor and outdoor sections can happily fill most of a day.

For practical planning, the museum charges modest separate fees for its various halls, the theatre and the greenhouse, and is fully accessible with easy public transport links to the rest of Taichung. It is busiest at weekends and during school holidays, so a weekday visit is calmer. Its central location places it near the city's parkland and art museum, making it easy to combine with other attractions, and its indoor spaces are a comfortable refuge on a hot or rainy day. Between the dinosaurs, the space theatre and the rainforest greenhouse, it easily fills a full and varied family day.