SCIENCE POP-UP by GSI/FAIR becomes a permanent place to go for science enthusiasts in the inner city of Darmstadt
28.01.2026 |
What started as a temporary project will now become a permanent inner-city institution in Darmstadt for the next two years: The SCIENCE POP-UP project, an interactive hands-on exhibition for science enthusiasts of all ages, remains at its location at Ernst-Ludwig-Straße 22 in the long term. This establishes the successful initiative of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and the international accelerator center FAIR as a long-term point of contact for anyone interested in experiencing cutting-edge research first-hand.
Since its opening in March 2025, the innovative SCIENCE POP-UP project has attracted about 10,000 visitors, including 55 school classes and numerous workshop participants. Initially planned as a temporary project lasting until the summer months, the interactive space was first extended to the end of December 2025 due to the overwhelming response. Thanks to the new long-term lease, it is now becoming an integral part of the inner city and the scientific landscape of Darmstadt. Exciting innovations are underway, as is the expansion of offerings for school classes of all age levels.
As cutting-edge research breaks new ground in many areas and the FAIR mega-project on the Darmstadt-Wixhausen campus progresses extremely well, the interactive space will reinvent itself constantly while retaining its proven concept. This ranges from creative knowledge transfer for all interested parties to the targeted didactic support of future researchers. Casual pedestrians and school classes alike can discover the world of particle accelerators, the origin of the elements, and working with state-of-the-art technology in a playful way. Popular stations include the throwing game, simulating the production of new elements; the accelerator game, the cloud chamber, and the VR station. Using virtual reality headsets, the VR station takes visitors directly to the GSI and FAIR facilities.
A qualitative analysis of the offering revealed: More than three-quarters of visitors rated the exhibition as “very positive”. The interactive and vivid presentation of complex content was particularly well received. Knowledge transfer was also measurably successful: before the visit, the proportion of correctly answered quiz questions ranged from 46 to 65 per cent—after the visit, the figure rose to over 85 per cent. A scientific evaluation conducted in cooperation with the Technical University of Darmstadt confirmed the success of the concept.
Professor Thomas Nilsson, Scientific Managing Director of GSI/FAIR, emphasized: “Our SCIENCE POP-UP has demonstrated the strong interest in science and technology in Darmstadt. By establishing it permanently, we want to give even more people the opportunity to get in touch with our research. Our goal is to spark a fascination for physics in people of all ages – and we are succeeding in doing so here in an exemplary manner.” (BP)
Opening hours and further information
The SCIENCE POP-UP at Ernst-Ludwig-Straße 22 invites anyone interested to explore the world of cutting-edge research for themselves. Further information about offers and events, as well as opening hours, can be found on the GSI/FAIR website.
