Former Almaly Shopping Centre in Almaty to Become a Children’s Science Museum

Almaty is creating a Children’s Science Museum designed as a major hands-on science destination in Central Asia. The new educational space is being developed in the former Almaly shopping centre on Republic Square, a building that had remained unused for years.

The project is being developed in partnership with Science Centre Singapore and Singapore-based Kingsmen. Its concept is centred on interactive learning: rather than simply observing exhibits, children will be able to experiment, explore different phenomena and discover complex scientific principles through play and hands-on activities.

The museum will feature six major thematic zones, more than 200 interactive exhibits and over 130 educational programmes.

From an unused building to a new educational space

The Children’s Science Museum gives the former Almaly shopping centre on Republic Square a completely new purpose.

A former commercial property is being transformed into a modern educational and discovery centre for children and families.

The project demonstrates how existing urban buildings can be repurposed to meet new public needs, creating social and educational infrastructure while giving previously underused spaces a new role in the city.

Learning science through experience

One of the key principles behind the museum is learning through hands-on experience.

Unlike a traditional museum, where visitors mainly observe exhibits, children here will be encouraged to interact with displays, conduct experiments, test ideas and find answers for themselves.

This approach can make complex physical, natural and technological phenomena easier to understand. Children will be able to see how concepts learned at school work in practice through experimentation, movement and play.

Science therefore becomes not simply a collection of formulas and definitions, but a process driven by curiosity and the desire to understand how the world works.

Science, nature, history and technology

The exhibition space will be divided into six major thematic zones covering different areas of science, nature, history and technology.

Visitors will be able to explore the world of dinosaurs, discover scientific developments along the Great Silk Road and learn about the natural environment and glaciers of the Tien Shan.

Other themes will include the history of the Aral Sea, space exploration and modern technologies.

Combining global scientific themes with subjects connected to Kazakhstan and Central Asia will allow children to explore science through both international discoveries and the natural and historical context of their own region.

More than 200 interactive exhibits

The museum is expected to feature more than 200 interactive exhibits.

Their defining feature will be hands-on participation. Instead of simply receiving information, children will be able to test how a scientific principle or mechanism works, observe the results of their own experiments and draw conclusions independently.

Interactive learning is therefore expected to become one of the defining features of the new museum.

From 18 months to 18 years

The Children’s Science Museum is designed for a broad age range — from toddlers aged 18 months to teenagers up to 18 years old.

Different formats will be available for different stages of development. Younger children will discover the world through play and sensory experiences, while schoolchildren and teenagers will be able to take part in more advanced experiments, research activities and educational programmes.

More than 130 educational programmes are being developed for the museum.

This will allow the museum to serve not only as a family leisure destination, but also as an additional educational platform where children can reinforce what they learn at school and develop an interest in science, engineering and technology.

International expertise with local content

The project combines international expertise in interactive science education with content adapted to Kazakhstan’s context.

Themes such as the Tien Shan, the Great Silk Road and the Aral Sea will give children an opportunity to explore scientific concepts through the nature, history and environment of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

This combination is intended to make science both globally relevant and locally meaningful for young visitors.

A new destination for children and families

The Children’s Science Museum will add a new dimension to Almaty’s educational and cultural infrastructure.

The space will bring together education, play, experimentation and family recreation. Children will be able to learn beyond the classroom, explore the world independently and engage with science and modern technologies from an early age.

At the same time, the project is giving a new life to a former commercial building in the heart of Almaty, transforming it into a public-oriented educational space.

With more than 200 interactive exhibits, over 130 educational programmes and six thematic zones, the new museum will create a space where children can do more than learn about science — they will be able to experience it through experimentation, play and discovery.