Located on the top floor of Suria KLCC mall, right at the foot of the iconic Petronas Towers, the Petrosains Discovery Centre is a treasure trove of science-based fun for kids of all ages. It’s super convenient and surprisingly affordable, making it a brilliant spot for families to spend a few hours.

You kick off the adventure with their so-called ‘famous’ dark ride. You hop into these black, egg-like capsules and glide into the shadows. Admittedly, the rainforest and under-the-sea displays are a bit underwhelming, but don’t let that put you off – things definitely pick up from there!

The real magic of Petrosains is just how hands-on everything is. This place is the epitome of interactive fun. Whether it’s programming and piloting a Mars rover or donning a jumpsuit to slide down an escape chute on a mock oil rig, it’s all about getting stuck in and exploring.

Even on busy days, you’re never left twiddling your thumbs for too long. There’s just so much to do that there’s always something free to try. When we visited just before Chinese New Year, the place was buzzing, yet we hardly had to wait for anything.

And the kids? They were in heaven. In just a couple of hours, they got to pilot a spacecraft, explore oil rig living quarters, play virtual football, meet a dinosaur, go virtual skiing, and race ball bearings down various tracks. They charged batteries, shot metal hoops into the air, made paper helicopters to test in a wind tunnel, moved earth with diggers, and loads more.

However, if I had to grumble, it’d be for our 5-year-old, who found himself in that awkward middle ground: too old for some activities (restricted to kids 4 years and under) and not tall enough for others (requiring 130/140cm height). I get why a toddler’s Lego area might be off-limits for him, but it’s harder to see why he couldn’t try what were basically standard playground slides or sit in a Formula One car chair for a racing game.

But hey, what can you do? We still had a cracking time!

The exit involves the second half of the dark ride you began with. Unfortunately, the ride conked out with us still on it. After a spell in the dark, a chap with a torch came to our rescue, leading us out. It was a bit spooky, but in a fun way – we might’ve enjoyed that more than the ride itself!