Dynamikum Science Center in Pirmasens: A Daytrip from K-town
Are you stationed in the KMC area and looking for day trip options? Is the sky gray AGAIN above Ramstein? Do your kids need some running around, but it is raining?
Luckily, in Ktown, there are many indoor options. You could also venture into the Gondwana museum in Schiffweiler if dinosaurs are your thing. Alternatively, you could also check out the Dynamikum Science Center in Pirmasens. It is a fantastic, entertaining place to teach your kids the basics of physics.
How to get to the Dynamikum Science Center, Pirmasens?
Just as Kaiserslautern is known as K-town among the members of the American military community, Pirmasens also appears to be too hard to remember. It is also known as P-town.
The Dynamikum Science Center is in central Pirmasens.
By car: Pirmasens is 30 minutes south of Landstuhl or Ramstein on the A62.
By train: From the Kaiserslautern Hauptbahnhof, it is a 45-minute train ride with a regional train. Please refer to the Deutsche Bahn website for timetables and tickets. The Dynamikum is a 10-minute walk away from the Pirmasens Bahnhof.
Address: Im Rheinberger, Fröhnstraße 8, 66954 Pirmasens
Entrance of Dynamikum
The Science Center is part of a building compound that also houses the Tourist Information office and a gym. The building has two entrances, both of which lead to a patio. From there, a ramp leads to the second floor, where the ticket office is located.
Layout and activities
The Dynamikum Science Center has two floors connected by stairs, elevators, and slides. The slides themselves are physics experiments, too. One is steeper than the other, so two people can race on them and experiment with which one is faster.
First floor
Upon entering the activity area, the Dynamikum might seem like a museum with exhibits filling up ample space. Only in this case are you allowed to touch the exhibits and encouraged to do so. You should try them, as each of them is a physics experiment.
Second floor
In this part of the Science Center, you can challenge your brain with different puzzles and logic games.
Here you can also explore what sport has to do with physics and get surprising insights into everyday and sporting activities’ physical laws. You can experiment with your physical strength and test how much power you can produce by biking or kicking a ball.
Tickets for the Dynamikum Science Center
Tickets for adults are €11.00, and kids from the age of 5 pay €9.50. If both parents visit with one child, it is €26.00.
For more options and discounts, please refer to their website.
How much time do I need for Dynamikum?
You should plan for a visit for at least three hours, but there are enough activities to keep you occupied for a whole day. The full-day admission bracelet lets you back in after a detour to the city.
Opening hours
Tuesday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday + Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m
Food and other conveniences
On the second floor of the Dynamikum, you can find a buffet that serves German fast food like wursts, pommes (French fries), and sandwiches.
Besides the restrooms and the lockers, the Dynamikum offers a souvenir store where the merchandise ranges from nerdy gift items to chemistry lab kits for home use.
Around the Science Center
The Dynamikum is next to Strecktal Park, the second biggest attraction of Pirmasens. Dominated by the Streckbrücke (Streck Bridge), Strecktal Park is an excellent place for outdoor sports and walking.
The experiments of the Dynamikum continue in the park: open-air exhibits invite you to discover playfully. The knowledge trail picks up on the theme of “movement” from the exhibition in the Dynamikum and continues it outdoors with sports experiments.
Verdict
The Dynamikum Science Center is a great day trip from the Ktown area. It is enjoyable for both kids and adults, and not just the nerdy type. Getting to Pirmasens is also easy, and the surroundings of the center are pretty too. I would regret it if I hadn’t visited, and I recommend it.
