Discovery Museum facts for kids
The Discovery Museum in 2018
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| Established | 1934 |
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| Location | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Public transit access | Newcastle Central Station |
The Discovery Museum is a really cool place in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It's a science museum and also tells the story of local history. You can see lots of interesting things there, like the famous ship called Turbinia. The museum is looked after by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.
Contents
A Journey Through Time: The Museum's History
The Discovery Museum first opened its doors in 1934. Back then, it was called the Municipal Museum of Science and Industry. Its first home was a temporary building. This building was part of an exhibition held in Exhibition Park, Newcastle in 1929.
Finding a New Home
For about 40 years, the museum's collections kept growing. Soon, the temporary building wasn't big enough anymore. So, in 1978, the museum moved to a new place. This new home was Blandford House.
Blandford House was once the main office for a large company. It was built in 1899 and had lots of space. It used to be a place where goods were sent out to over 100 shops.
Becoming the Discovery Museum
In 1993, the museum got a new name: the Discovery Museum. This is when the famous ship Turbinia was moved to its new spot inside the museum.
Later, in 2004, the museum had a big makeover. This project cost about £13 million! The next year, in 2005, an amazing 450,000 people visited the museum.
What You Can Explore: Museum Exhibits
The Discovery Museum is packed with exciting things to see and do. It's a "hands-on" museum, which means you can often touch and interact with the exhibits. This makes it fun for both kids and adults!
The Amazing Turbinia
One of the most famous things you'll see is Turbinia. This ship is about 104 feet (32 meters) long. It was built by a clever inventor named Charles Algernon Parsons. He wanted to test how well steam turbines could power ships. Turbinia was super fast for its time, reaching speeds of up to 34 knots (about 39 miles per hour or 63 kilometers per hour)!
Soldiers and History
The museum also has a special section for the Light Dragoons. This part tells the story of soldiers and army life over 200 years. You can learn about the history of the Northumberland Hussars and other army groups. It helps you understand what life was like for people in the army.
Bright Ideas: Lightbulbs
You can also see some very early lightbulbs at the museum. These were invented by Joseph Swan right there in Tyneside. His inventions helped light up the world!
