Catalyst Science Discovery Centre facts for kids
Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum.
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| Former name | Museum of the Chemical Industry |
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| Established | 1987 |
| Location | Widnes, Halton, England |
| Type | Science museum |
| Accreditation | Arts Council England |
| Visitors | 30,000 |
The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre and Museum is an exciting place in Widnes, England. It's a museum where you can explore science and technology in fun ways. You'll find interactive exhibits, old-time scenes, an observatory, and live science shows. There are also workshops for families.
The museum is located in a building called Tower Building. It was built around 1860 for a chemical business. Catalyst also keeps many old documents and photos about the chemical industry. This includes the research files from a big company called ICI.
Discover the History of Catalyst
Catalyst is in Widnes, next to Spike Island. The museum is inside an old four-story building with new parts added on. This building was first known as the Tower Building. It was built around 1860 by John Hutchinson. He used it as the main office for his chemical company.
Later, the building became the head office for the Gossage soap company. This company was once the biggest of its kind in the world. It handled half of the UK's soap exports! Widnes was a very important center for making chemicals for about 170 years.
The museum started as a temporary exhibit in 1982. This was to celebrate 100 years of the Society of Chemical Industry. Local leaders and chemical companies decided to make the exhibit permanent. They wanted to create a museum about the chemical industry.
The museum officially opened in 1987. It was first called "The Museum of the Chemical Industry." It was said to be the world's first museum just for this topic. In 1989, a glass lift and a glass observation deck were added to the top. In 1991, new interactive exhibits were brought in. An extension was built in 1994–95 for education and visitors.
What You Can Do at Catalyst
Catalyst is a hands-on science and technology museum. It has over 80 interactive exhibits. You can also see multi-media shows and recreated historical scenes. These help bring science, technology, and engineering to life. Besides the displays, there's a theatre for live science presentations.
On the top floor, there's an observatory. From here, you can see amazing views of the River Mersey. You can also see Spike Island and the Mersey Gateway Bridge. During school holidays, the museum offers fun family workshops. There is also a cafe where you can grab a snack.
The exhibits show many different things. You can see tiny test tubes and a huge 20-ton caustic soda vessel. There's also old laboratory equipment and chemical samples. The museum mainly focuses on the chemical industries in the local area. This includes places like Merseyside and Cheshire.
The museum also collects items about local social history. This helps show how people lived and worked in the area. This collection focuses on Widnes and Runcorn.
Explore the Archives
The museum has a large collection of old documents and items. These are all about the chemical industry. This collection started in 1982. It includes nearly 8,000 different items. These are objects, archive materials, and photographs.
If you count all the individual research files from ICI, the collection has over 35,000 items! You can find more details about these collections on the Catalyst website.
The archives hold many company documents. These include product brochures and other old papers. There are also many photographs. These pictures show products, how things were made, company history, and local life. The collection also has old maps of Widnes and Runcorn.
The museum also has a fine art collection. This includes paintings of local chemical makers. There are also pictures of old factories. You can also see bronze busts and plaques.
See also
- List of museums in Cheshire
- Listed buildings in Widnes
- List of science centers#Europe
