| Winchester Science Centre | |
| Former Names: | INTECH (1986–2002) INTECH Science Centre (2002-2013) |
| Location: | Morn Hill, Chilcomb, England |
| Coordinates: | 51.0598°N -1.2654°W |
| Operator: | Wonderseekers |
Winchester Science Centre[1] (known as INTECH Science Centre until 2013) is a hands-on educational science and technology centre located at Morn Hill near Chilcomb, three miles from the city of Winchester in Hampshire, England.[2] The centre houses a range of interactive exhibits, aimed at a core audience of children aged 5–12 years old and has over 185,000 annual visitors. The dome's planetarium seats 176 and is the UK's largest standalone planetarium.[3]
The centre is operated by Wonderseekers, a registered charity in England and Wales.
INTECH (a portmanteau of "Interactive Technology") was founded in 1986 as a response to a local shortage of scientists, engineers and technicians, in a disused canteen at King's School on Romsey Road, Winchester. By the late 1990s, the centre had grown in popularity and began to look for a larger premises to meet increasing demand.[4] [5]
In 2002, INTECH relocated to the present-day site at Morn Hill at a cost of £10 million.[6] The new 3,500 square metre, purpose-built centre was funded partly through the Millennium Commission, NTL, IBM, the DfES and DTI, SEEDA and Hampshire County Council.[7] The centre was opened by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on the 28th October 2002.[8]
INTECH re-opened as Winchester Science Centre in October 2013.[9]
The centre has two floors of hands-on science exhibits and a planetarium with a programme of full-dome films and presenter-led shows.[10]