Ecolarium Museum Review : Okolariet Science Museum in Vejle, Denmark

When planning our stay in Billund this summer, we read a lot of good things about the neighbouring town of Vejle. After visiting Lego House, Legoland and The Aquadome waterpark, we decided to spend our final day exploring the pretty town and what it had to offer.

After visiting the shops and admiring the umbrellas at Midtpunkt, we made our way to Økolariet museum.

What is Økolariet?

Økolariet, or Ecolarium in English, is a children’s science museum. The museum focuses on modern society and the role we can all play. There’s topics such as nature, environment, energy and climate change and it’s all presented in an interactive way that the children love. And best of all admission is free!

Where is Økolariet?

Økolariet is situated in Vejle, Denmark and is just a short walk from the bus station. We took the bus from Lalandia in Billund where we staying and it took about half an hour. The final stop was Vejle Trafikcenter and the museum is just a few minutes away.

Økolariet Our Experience

We were greeted by friendly English speaking staff who welcomed us to the museum and explained the best route to take. As expected everything was written in Danish but the majority of the time there was an English translation, some more amusing than others!

There were three floors to explore, each one full of interactive science exhibits with so much to see and do. This is not a sterile learning environment – the kids are encouraged to touch, play and smell.

We immediately noticed just how modern and innovative the museum was. It was immaculately clean too. In museums we’ve visited in the past we’ve found that some areas have become quite run down but that certainly wasn’t the case here.

The children were fascinated by it all, especially my eldest. As an ocean-life enthusiast he’s very clued up on plastic waste and the importance of recycling and was horrified by some of the statistics.

We learnt about sewer systems and the journey the water takes from toilet back to the tap, complete with live rats in the pipes!

The children loved trying on sustainable clothing and exploring the wood house. We found the museum to be really quiet so they really enjoyed having the time to explore at their own pace.

There was a lovely roof garden which was peaceful and tranquil and the children enjoyed watering the plants.

The themes throughout the museum could not have been more relevant for today’s society. From food and clothes to recycling and water waste, it’s a great way of teaching the children the impact every person can have on the planet.

Økolariet Our Experience

Økolariet massively exceeded our expectations. For a free to enter museum, it was modern and innovative and so much to see and do. It was aimed at children and it absolutely hit the mark. I definitely find that in many ways the younger generation are so much more clued up on things like climate change and recycling than older generations.

The museum tells an important lesson in an engaging and fun way for children and we would definitely recommend it.