Toronto Ontario Science Centre
In Toronto, there is a place where everything is an adventure in science and discovery that provides hours of fun and thrills. It is the Ontario Science Centre, where learning about science and technology takes on a whole new meaning. Their mission statement, ” To inspire passion for the human adventure of discovery,” says it all!
The Centre has been teaching visitors in new, interactive, and innovative ways for over fifty years. It opened in 1969 and has been a Toronto landmark destination for inquiring minds ever since. The Science Centre is home to over 500 interactive exhibits and live demonstrations where visitors of all ages learn through play and discovery. Unlike traditional museums where exhibits were viewed, often behind glass, the Centre was a pioneer with the new Hands-On science approach.
For families with younger children, there is KidSpark for ages eight years and under. A colossal space set for exploration and learning through play. Get rocking in the music studio; try blowing giant bubbles, a rolling ball machine, conduct experiments in the water play zone, go shopping in a miniature market, and building your own rollercoaster. There is an abundance of colorful, imaginative ways to engage all their senses with two separate areas for toddlers, and they may not want to leave.
The Science Arcade is one of the original exhibit halls and still a favourite, with a vast assortment of wacky, wild, and fun scientific arcade-style games. Interactive exhibits like the plasma balls produce bolts of coloured light when touched or peddling a bike that generates power. The Arcade provides plenty of hands-on opportunities to test many pulleys, handles, levers, and magnets.
The Ontario Science Centre, also known as the OSC, features an IMAX Dome Theatre, the only one in Ontario providing guests a whole new movie-watching experience. The movie is projected onto a giant rounded screen that completely circles the theatre. It is a whopping 4,500 times larger than an average television screen and offers a vast assortment of movie choices daily. With over 40 speakers, the sound surrounds the theatre. Some recent films include Oceans: Our Blue Planet, Back From the Brink, Superpower Dogs, Born to be Wild, and Volcanoes: The Fires of Creation.
In 2007 the addition of the newly designed Teluscape Exploration Plaza adjacent to the main entrance. It is home to several outdoor interactive displays. The Terrace is home to the world’s largest hydraulophone, a hydraulic-action pipe organ with 57 water jets that produce unique sounds when the jets are blocked.
Another tremendous outdoor exhibit is the Cohen Family Nature Escape developed in the Don River Valley behind the OSC. There is a 125-year-old Eastern white pine tree slide ride and a gigantic Baltimore Oriole nest. Raccoons and rabbits can be spotted roaming the valley. There is a concrete wall for moss graffiti and a bat box high in the trees.
The Space exhibit hall is a favourite with young and old. View the twinkling night sky in the Amazing planetarium or try and pilot the rocket chair. Learn about all the different planets, becoming an astronaut, check out genuine meteorites from Mars, and get a rare glimpse of Moon Rocks.
The Hot Zone is like the Times Square of the Science Centre. Filled with multiple screens, live presentations, and interactive exhibits for all ages.
It is home to the Idea Gallery, where art meets science, and the Polling Station, the Fish Pond, and Fred, the skeleton, teaches about the body. The River is an eye-catching interactive floor that reacts with visitor’s movements.
The Living Earth is home to various simulated natural environments waiting to be explored. Visitors experience nature-based displays, including coral reef ecosystems, a wind tunnel tornado, and a crawl-through cave. Try to spot a poison Dart frog while strolling through the hot and humid Rainforest.
No Science Centre would be complete without an exploration into human anatomy. The AstraZeneca Human Edge gallery was designed and built with input from over 120 experts in neuroscience, sports medicine, biomechanics, and physiology. With over 80 exhibits that show human anatomy and possibilities of the human body. A cool feature is the Climbing Wall. Visitors can check out their future selves in the Aging Machine. Single Breath shows visitors freedivers who descend to depths of 85 metres on a single breath of air.
The Science Centre hosts a massive amount of fun for a day with some extracurricular activities. The OSC offers chemistry, magic, or space-themed birthday parties. They also provide fantastic kids’ day camps and family sleepovers with indoor camping, a movie, and science activities.
The OSC is a place where asking questions turns into adventurous discoveries. For all ages and all things science, the Ontario Science Centre in the heart of Toronto is the place to be.
Check out Toronto Ripley’s Aquarium which is in Toronto ON too.
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