The 40 best live music venues and concert halls in Sheffield (2025)

1 list

We really loved out visit. The best water play I have ever seen. Even my Mum had a go. We will definitely be back. 🦋😆

My grandchildren, aged 16 and 3, both love Magna and insisted I join them on a visit.I initially found I was experiencing a sensory overload, the building, a deployed steel works, is massive, dark and noisy, but soon settled down to enjoy the various areas of activities based around the elements of air, earth, fire and water. There is loads for children of all ages to experience and also a large adventure playground and water park outside. The café had a fair range of cakes, savouries and meals, plus drinks, and there are picnic spots around the building and also outside. We were there for a full day and the tickets can be upgraded (free) to an annual pass. Magna is a wonderful venue, working for the whole family on lots of levels and it an imaginative use of an amazing building. Don’t miss The Melt or Forge.

Visited with our 19 month old and she loved it. When we walked into the main walkway which is dark with lots of lights highlighting the steelworks she gasped and said "wow mummy"!Lots of buttons to press and handles to turn kept her entertained and she loved the scarf pipes in the air zone and water activities in the water zone. Tickets last for whole year so great value for money. Outside is a massive playground with a good range of equipment for all ages and big sand pit. Good day out for all.

We spent a really enjoyable few hours at Magna and could happily have spent a full day if we'd had time. The outdoor water area looked fun for better weather. The playarea is really big and has loads of equipment. Unfortunately a lot of it was roped off for repairs but the friendly member of staff on the gate apologised really nicely for this and said the work had been delayed due to the recent bad weather. The cafe had a decent choice and children's meals were reduced to £1 for half term when purchased with adults' main meals. (We had a slight issue with a mistake on our bill which was resolved promptly and politely.)We found the old mill impressive from the outside and amazing inside. It was fascinating to see the old machinery and our children (7 and 5) enjoyed shining the lights on different parts of the vast space from the walkway. It was cool inside but we'd wrapped up warm because of reading other reviews and were never too cold. We took ear defenders for our 5 year old and I'm glad we did - the Big Melt was really impressive but it was noisy. We really enjoyed the hands on activities in the four pods. Most of the exhibits were in good working order. The amount of information on display in the Fire pod suited us but agree that the other pods could do with a little more. TAKE WATERPROOFS for the water pod or do that one last and take a change of clothes!

Really great place to visit. Bring your coat because it's cold - even in summer. It's a museum in a steel works - no windows to let the heat of the day in.A lot to see and do. Bring a picnic for lunch in an unusual location¡!

Great science museum. Interesting steel history and excellent learning areas for kids. Interactive fun with water, sand etc. Also added bonus of one of the best outdoor play areas we've been to. Splash zone for warm days is superb.Big thankyou to member of Magna staff Peter, who gave me and my two kids a guided tour of the melting shop.

Great place the photos and video is from the fire zone with a fire tornado. There is also a water zone earth zone and air zone. The fact that it is in an abandoned steel works and there was a demonstration about how the works were when it was up and running. Fantastic place to visit with lots of things to do. Will be visiting again.

Absolutely brilliant place for children. Lots for them to do inside and out. Buy ticket online to save money and it’s valid for the year. Our four year old granddaughter absolutely loved it. The only issue is that there are not enough seating areas.

We visited on good Friday and even thou there was alot of people at the entrance and in the food area once inside it didn't feel busy at all because everything is spaced out brilliantly. The size of the old steel works is unbelievable and very interesting. The kids absolutely loved the different element areas and there favourite was the fire tornado, the wind ring maker and the water area. The price is definitely worth it especially when you can get them cheaper buying in advance and take into account that it's an annual pass included. I would say the four elements area is definitely more aimed at children but adults enjoyed it aswell.We didn't use the playarea but it looked really good! Tons of free parking and so easy to find and only 2 minutes from meadowhall.Great day!

Spent an amazing Monday at the Magna Science Adventure Centre! We've been meaning to visit for years, and this year we planned our holiday around it.Our 13-year-old science-mad son was a bit old for it but still had a blast doing activities with our friend’s 9-year-old. The centre's layout is ingenious and unique. Learning the history of the steelworks arc furnace while watching the visual art installation, including fire and sparks, was truly engaging.Our son loved all the interactive elements, especially the forge demonstration, and was thrilled to receive the steel demonstration piece! He then had a great time at the outdoor water park.The staff were welcoming, friendly, and informative.A word of warning: if your child is sound-sensitive, don’t forget a pair of ear defenders.

A great museum for children (and grown up children too !). A science based museum with lots of interactive areas based around the themes of fire / air / water / earth. Best of all though is 'the Big Melt', a 15 minute ish reconstruction of the process of steelmaking using light fire and electricity. This runs every hour. I'd allow 4 hours minimum to go around, more if you have children. Current price (adult, online single)£17.95 which gives free return access for one year. Based in an old steelworks the size of the building is seriously impressive.Of note is CAMRA have placed the next three years Great British Winter Beer Festival at the events part of the venue from Feb 2025 onwards. I've previously volunteered at the MAGNA Music and Real Ale Festival pre covid. If visiting in winter bear in mind venue WILL be very cold inside. X3 bus stops directly outside from either Rotherham or Sheffield and there is a large free car park. Also there's a relatively new external mini aqua park for the summer months. ✳ I've read online there's going to be a Supertram stop at MAGNA opening summer 2025 - TBC. That's on the Sheffield ▶Rotherham tram/train service.

An amazing day out, with something for everyone.Magna is easy to locate, and you pick up the brown signposts with plenty of distance, there is plenty of free parking on arrival (disabled spaces are available, no parent and child - but we didn't have a problem opening our doors to get the kids out).We had booked in advance online, and were met by a lovely person at the front desk, who set us up with a pass that means we can come back all year (this is a plastic card, which will stand up to the trials of a wallet).The site is enormous, and there is a fair bit of walking to do, and 4 floors to handle. It is entirely accessible for anyone needing wheels (pram/wheelchair). We did have a bit of confusion working out what floor we wanted in the lift - while there are signs explaining outside the lifts, signs on the inside near the buttons would be handy.The lavatory facilities are clean and tidy, but could do with a coat of paint and a replacement rusty radiator or two. The baby change units are free-standing, rather than the ones that drop down from the wall; there are no safety straps - beware of this if you have a climber who needs a fresh nappy!The canteen has a fabulous rainbow wall, that had my 8 month old absolutely fascinated. Hot drinks are reasonably priced. Unfortunately a lack of recycling bins for cardboard cups. You can only sit in the canteen to eat food you have purchased. However, there are various spots with indoor seating (the drop down style like at the theatre), benches outside and grass in the playground to sit on in fine weather (please note: there is limited shade from the sun, bring a hat or an umbrella if you're picnicking outdoors on a sunny day).The exhibit is initially quite dark and a little intimidating with rumbles and clanging - if you have members of your group who have audio sensitivity, please bring their ear defenders or ear plugs. It is eerie to walk above the skeleton of the steelworks, and I was genuinely surprised how much was still in-situ! There are videos from before the steelworks closed being projected; all delightfully narrated in Proper Yorkshire Chelp! (This is definitely not a 'BBC News Voice').You will wander by a sensory play area for under 4s, and if you have a tiny one with you, it is a lovely spot for them. Soft surfaces and bright colours.The BIG MELT ran approximately every hour from 11am on the day we went, and lasted about a quarter of an hour. A marvellous Yorkshire narration talks through how they made moulton steel - with sound effects, lights and pyrotechnics. It isn't overly scientific or inaccessible for of those of us who don't have a clue about how steel is made. Educational and entertaining, and didn't overstay it's welcome or get boring.The exhibit levels cover: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air (all required to make steel!). They are full of hands-on experiments for youngsters - and grownups - to partake in. Some require a "re-set period" and can't be run constantly, such as the fire tornado. However, after a clearly stated countdown, they can be set going again. A small number of experiments are being repaired or refreshed and are out of order, but they were in the minority.We paid a small extra fee to watch a live experiment session about rockets; and if more school science teachers were as engaging and enthusiastic as the presenter, more kids would succeed in science! An excellent summer addition to the venue!Outside is a huge playground, well padded with rubber mats and sand (make sure to tip your kids' shoes out before they get in the car!). There is a range of equipment to clamber on, suiting all ages capable of climbing. A water playground (bring swimwear and towels) was proving very popular on the beautiful sunny day that we visited - as mentioned earlier, shade is very limited.Our family (two grownups, a 5 year old and 8 month old) had a wonderful time, and we will definitely go back in the future.

Took my 23mth old Granddaughter and she loved exploring in the outside play area. There is a great water splash suitable for all ages, lovely sandpits and lots of equipment to explore. We spent 3 hours there. I pre booked my ticket as it is cheaper than if you pay on the day (granddaughter under 2 so free) and this allows me to visit both indoor and outdoor for a year, so good value. I purchased ice lolly’s whilst there and they were reasonably priced (card payment only) at £2 each. They do have under 5 activities inside but as it was my first visit with granddaughter we chose to stay on the play area. I have been going here for over 17 years with my children& grandchildren and it is always a great day out. Once you have your pass from first visit (ask for it when you check in) you can go straight to the gate on the play area without going to reception.

Magna is set in an old steel factory, this is a fun science based activity centre where the entire family can get involved having a bit of fun whilst learning a little about the history of the place and diving into the fun of science to set those sparks of curiosity burning.With your entrance fee, you can go to the desk at the end and have your pass turned into an annual pass at no extra cost. Which is handy if you live kind of local as they have a great park and water park outside the front of the building that you could use with this pass also.Myself and the kids enjoyed going here and would definitely recommend it.

Great place to visit with children. You can easily spend 3-5 hours there. You can see a fire tornado, control diggers, play in the wind tunnel and splash some water. Interactive, interesting and informative. Outside there is an awesome playground and also a splash playground.Your day tickets can be converted into a year-long membership.

Took my nephews and niece, ages 11, 8 and 4 for their first visit today. They LOVED it, especially the Fire and Water zones. The 8 year old also did a LEGO computer programming event (at a small extra price) which he loved. They really enjoyed the outdoor play area too. Having the chance to return for free within a year is a good addition too.

We went to Magna on a home education day and they did a fantastic job.There was a space theme for the day which involved a very interesting talk about the constellations and planets (my son usually gets bored during these types of workshops but he loved this one!).There were demonstrations all through the site over the day which were well attended.Lots of interest facts and figures across the pavilions and lots of hands on activities, wheels to turn, buttons to press etc for everyone to have a go!I’d previously heard some very mixed reviews about magna, but most seem to stem from longer ago. We all loved it and would definitely go again!Athena water park understandably wasn’t open which disappointed my son a little but the park was open and there was lots to do on there for a range of ages!We didn’t eat at Magna but us adults did get drinks, usually priced but decent tasting.As I said, our experience was a very positive one and we would definitely go again!

Great day out for grandkids. Spent 6 hours in total splitting the four zones earth, air, fire and water with an hour in the excellent adventure playground. We now have an annual pass. Ask when you check in.

Nice place to visit with the family. There's a lot of space to have a lot more exhibits and some were in need of refurbishment. Entry price was a bit high for what was there. The main exhibits were really impressive although we found we were waiting around each one waiting for them to activate. Would be nice to have more benches dotted about for the less able. Overall lovely place to visit but could be really great with a bit more investment. (Smithy was excellent)

Magna Way, Templeborough, Rotherham S60 1FD, United Kingdom•http://www.visitmagna.co.uk/•+44 1709 720002•Tips and more reviews for Magna Science Adventure Centre