5 tips: Weekend in Brain City Berlin

Brain City Berlin

In order to contain the corona virus, Berlin’s museums and leisure facilities were closed in March. Now some have opened again! Of course, in strict compliance with the distancing and hygiene regulations. For all those who have not yet planned anything specific for the weekend - here are a few tips from the Brain City editorial team combining leisure and science ideally.

1. Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

“Oskar” is the name of the Giraffatitan brancai skeleton, which is more than 13 metres high. The roughly 150 million old bony fellow is one of the public’s favourites in the Museum für Naturkunde. After the closure of the museum due to the corona virus, the Brachiosaurus can now be visited again. Just like its dinosaur friends Allosaurus, Diplodocus or the short-tailed pterosaur Pterodactylus. The other exhibitions of the museum are also accessible again - with the exception of “Parasites - Life Undercover” and some interactive exhibition elements, such as the installation “Cosmos and Solar System”. All events at the Natural History Museum have been cancelled until 20 July. In the meantime, the museum offers many exciting online workshops and tours. For example, Brain City Ambassador Franziska Sattler will digitally present the popular “Coffee chat with science” on 15 June 2020. The café will also remain closed. Entry to the museum is only possible with an online ticket. Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 09:30 to 18:00, weekends and public holidays: 10:00 to 18:00.

Online tickets
Online events

2. Futurium

Whether “indoor farming” or “consumer day after” - there is always a lot to discover and try out in the “House of the Future” in Berlin-Mitte. The Futurium was closed for around two months and has been open since 13 May. With some exceptions: The Futurium Lab and the Skywalk are still closed, the interactive elements cannot be used as usual, the swings in the exhibition not at all. Important: A maximum of 200 visitors may stay in the house at the same time, so it is better to be prepared for some waiting time. A one-way street system has been set up within the exhibition, which guides visitors through the building in a hygienically safe manner. The restaurant offers food and drinks on the forecourt. Entry to the Futurium is still free. Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday to Sunday: 10:00 to 18:00, Thursday 10:00 to 20:00, Tuesday closed.

futurium.de

3. Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin

Despite the corona virus, Berlin is currently blooming and becoming green everywhere. Since the Botanical Garden in Berlin-Steglitz reopened on 05 May, visitors have been able to view and marvel at around 20,000 plant species in the open-air grounds of one of the most important gardens in the world. Be it in the swamp and water garden, in the scent and touch garden, in the medicinal garden - or just during a relaxed walk through the grounds. Due to the pandemic restrictions, however, a maximum of 1,000 visitors may stay in the open spaces at the same time. The greenhouses are still closed. Admission to the site is regulated via online tickets. Opening times: daily 09:00 to 20:00.

Online tickets

4. Zoo Berlin and Tierpark Berlin

Only a few are currently lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the panda bear cubs Pit and Paule. In the sunshine, the two of them occasionally romp around on the grass area of their enclosure with their mother Meng Meng. However, only during the week. In addition to the pandas, Germany’s oldest and most diverse zoo has more than 19,400 attractions from the animal kingdom to be discovered - from the anteater to the pygmy hippopotamus. However, the animal houses are still closed, shows and commented feedings are no longer available. The same applies to the Berlin Tierpark in Berlin-Friedrichsfelde. Around 9,000 exotic and domestic animals, including camels, giraffes and elephants, live in the largest landscape animal park in Europe. Tickets for the Zoo and Tierpark are currently only available online. Annual pass holders must also reserve online in advance. Opening times: daily 09:00 to 18:30.

Online tickets Berlin Zoo
Online tickets Tierpark Berlin

5. STATE Studio

“BRAINPLACE” is the name of the open artistic research project that is currently running in the STATE Studio exhibition laboratory in Berlin. The light artist from Munich Tatjana Busch in cooperation with scientists from the Fraunhofer Society, the media artists Christian Losert and Daniel Dalfovo and the STATE Studio, takes on a very topical question: “Can new impulses be imagined in the interplay of art and science to promote empathy, social cohesion and togetherness?” BRAINPLACE invites visitors to the STATE Studio to interact with a light sculpture. The resulting research questions are then taken up by scientists from the Fraunhofer-Institut für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation and the Fraunhofer-Institut für Techno- und Wirtschaftsmathematik. In a later project phase, visitors should be able to control actively the appearance of the installation using brain waves.

Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday 12:00 to 19:00, Saturday 12:00 to 17:00. Groups of two or more, please register in advance at hello@state-studio.com

BRAINPLACE

(vdo)