The vision was clear as day in early1961. By the time it went through the inevitable stages of planning, more planning, red tape and finally the execution, almost two decades passed. But in the 8th of October, 1980, there were many proud people looking on as they saw the culmination of a dream that finally came true.

The dream was the Hong Kong Space Museum, a museum that looks to the stars and to the future, not the past. Situated in Tsim Sha Tsui, the museum is intended to encourage interest in space science and astronomy, two fields that will soar in the near future.

Though the idea was conceived in 1961, it was a decade before a working group was set up to study other such establishments abroad. In 1974, something more concrete was done – the actual contract was signed, with the Carl Zeiss Company, for all the equipment, for a whopping HK$3,050,000. It took a further three years before actual construction started, in 1977, but from then it went quickly. The actual construction only took three years, and Hong Kong Space Museum was declared open in 1980.

Even if it took so long for the vision to become reality, the result is more than just impressive. It has become one of the most easily recognized landmarks in Hong Kong, with its 8000 square meter egg shaped dome.

The dome is part of the main wing, the east wing, of the museum. The Stanley Ho Space Theater and the Hall of Space Science as well as the offices and the like, are part of the east wing. The west wing contains the Hall of Astronomy and the Lecture Hall.

The museum has two themes, and has one floor dedicated to each theme – space science and astronomy. Both floors are filled with interactive exhibits and displays that welcome and encourage visitors to learn.

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