About Central Museum & Planetarium
Explore cosmic wonders and fascinating exhibits at this engaging Southend venue where families can journey through space and discover captivating collections under one roof.
What's nearby
- The Range, Southend-on-Sea next door
- Sainsbury's 200m away
- Victoria Shopping Centre 250m away
Distances as the crow flies, via Google
Good to know
Accessibility
- ✓Accessible entrance
- ✓Accessible toilet
Details via Google — worth confirming with the attraction before you travel, especially for access needs.
Photos
Photos via Google
Opening hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Closed
- Wednesday
- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Thursday
- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday
- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday
- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Sunday
- 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Current hours may differ from the usual schedule above (e.g. holidays) — check Google Maps for today's hours.
What visitors say
Negative experience : expensive not big as looks in pictures charged £4 per adult just to see ship wreck planetarium room is closed and it’s called planetarium but child also charge £2 so total &12+ family of 3, no concessions or discounts like London museums for UC or child benefits free for children in horniman museum London science museum. waste of money if you can’t afford avoid at all cost. Not recommended
· via Google
interesting place with lots of local history. staff helpful and informative. my favourite bit was this ww2 air raid shelter for 1 person! the whole place is free to enter.
· via Google
Went to visit today with my partner, the museum was interesting and the staff were very lovely but unfortunately the planetarium show was extremely disappointing, hence the poor review. I can only assume the positive reviews on here are due to the show years ago having a different host whose charisma made up for the lackluster show - there was no music or bgm at all, and the first half of the show was composed entirely of a series of still, square images on one wall of the planetarium, which hurt the neck to look at over the show's hour long duration due to the stiff seats and small room. Even once the entire screen was used, we were essentially shown a still projection of the night sky while a member of staff who unfortunately had extremely flat and monotonous delivery, as well as a habit of repeating facts several times before moving on, simply pointed out the constellations. I don't have an issue with the content of the show, but the delivery and presentation somehow turned what should have been interesting subject matter into a show which genuinely nearly put me to sleep. Extremely disappointed and would like to see them improve this, as the place and staff seem lovely otherwise.
· via Google
A really interesting local museum with a lot to see for its size. The exhibits cover natural history, local archaeology, and the history of Southend, with plenty of informative displays. The planetarium is a highlight and well worth attending if you can catch a show. Friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere make it an enjoyable place to spend an hour or two.
· via Google
People say this museum offers fascinating exhibits on local history, including the Saxon prince section, and a planetarium show. They also highlight the friendly and knowledgeable staff, and that general admission is free.
Some reviews mention the planetarium show can be disappointing.
Summary via Google
At a glance
- Address
- Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea Get directions
- Category
- Museums & Galleries
- Guest rating
- 4.4 / 5 (321 reviews)
- Suitable for
- Ages 9+
- Setting
- Indoor
- Good for children
- Yes
- Toilets on site
- Yes
- Destination
- Southend On Sea