What is it?

Shanghai's got a new feather in its cap with the arrival of the world-traveled Museum of Paradox. It's the perfect spot for updating your WeChat profile and filling your Moments with a mix of fun, whimsy, and a dash of "look where I've been!" vibe.

While it hasn't exactly set our WeChat feeds ablaze, there's been enough of a flicker to drag us out to experience this paradoxical wonderland. So, we took up the challenge to "experience the impossible," and, long story short ... not a bad way to spend an afternoon. It's got its own kind of charm, you know?

Spread out over 1,300 square meters under Huaihai Road, the museum leads you through themed areas by element – "wood," "water," "metal" – showcasing paradoxes from the ancient Greeks, the mind-bending works of M.C. Escher, to cutting-edge lighting and sound installations. With nine locations around the globe – think Vegas, Stockholm, Barcelona, Paris – it's a blend of science, art, history, architecture, and design all wrapped into one delightful package.

Who's Going?

Ideal for fans of Bill Nye's quirky experiments, YouTube science spirals, or anyone aged 4 to 15, the Museum of Paradox Shanghai is an Insta-friendly diversion.

If you have kids, this makes for a perfect afternoon diversion. Particularly if you've got kids into math, design, science, or architecture (or want your kids to be into those things) it's full of slyly educational moments.

Or, if your a 30-something millenial and want to give Celia a break, then maybe grab some friends and a bottle of wine, and head down to take some quirky selfies together. It's definitely more fun with wine.

The bilingual documentation in English and Chinese is top-notch, so bring allll your friends. Each exhibit has a QR code to dive deeper into the science or history behind it. The bilingual staff is also on hand to help make sense of it all – they're there to be baffled alongside you. Purposefully, of course!

Some Highlights

The photo ops! From the "Reversed Room" to the "Paradox Tunnel" and "Paradox Sofa," even a Matrix-style room with green code for that perfect bullet-dodging snap. Pro tip: bring a friend, lover, or enemy for optimal profile pic curation. Solo visits may result in some tragically awkward selfies. Trust us on this one.

The take

The Museum of Paradox is a fun and roundly mesmerizing afternoon confrontation with things that, if true, are false, and if false, must be true.

Yes indeed, The Museum of Paradox: Not bad!

(Which seems like a paradox itself, somehow.)

Guided Tours, Private Events, Workshops!

Paradox Museum's Marketing Manager, Jennie Lin mentioned that they have bilingual staff on hand, and can accommodate guided tours, private events, workshops and more:

To make visits to the Paradox Museum in Shanghai more enjoyable for expats, we could offer guided tours with bilingual staff. For folks interested in adding creative twists, or dynamism to their private events, workshops, and lectures the Museum can be privately reserved for such occasions.

Deets

Address:

B1, 688 Huaihai Rd M.

Opening Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 10am-8pm

Last admission: 6:40pm.

Friday-Sunday: 10am-10pm

Last admission: 8:40pm

Tickets:

Weekday Ticket: 158 yuan

Regular Ticket: 188 yuan

Couples Ticket: 288 yuan

Student Ticket (student id required): 128 yuan

Child ticket: 98 yuan

Family package (1 adults and 1 child): 228 yuan

Family package (2 adults 1 child): 328 yuan