Eugene Science Center facts for kids
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| Location | 2300 Leo Harris Parkway Eugene, Oregon |
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| Type | Science Museum |
The Eugene Science Center is a super cool place in Eugene, Oregon. It's found inside Alton Baker Park. This center is all about science and technology. It's a great spot for kids, families, and school groups to explore!
The museum is about 10,000 square feet big. It's close to Autzen Stadium. Here, you'll find lots of fun, hands-on exhibits that change often. They also have amazing planetarium shows. You can join their camp programs or attend special events. All these activities help you learn about science and technology.
The Eugene Science Center is a special kind of organization. It's a non-profit organization. This means it uses all its money to run the museum, not to make a profit. A group of volunteers helps lead the center. Their main goal is to get kids excited about science. They want to inspire you to love science for life. They also want to help you use science and technology to make your community better. This is the only science museum in its area!
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Discovering the Center's Past
The Eugene Science Center has a long and interesting history. It first opened its doors in 1961. Back then, it was called the Southwest Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (SWOMSI).
Early Days and New Homes
At first, SWOMSI got help from a bigger museum. This was the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland. But soon, SWOMSI became its own independent museum. Local teachers made up most of its board of directors.
SWOMSI's first home was an old train station. This was the Oregon Electric Railway Station. It's now a restaurant! In this early location, SWOMSI had exhibits and classes. They also showed planetarium shows. These shows were in a special Spitz Planetarium.
Becoming WISTEC
By 1973, the old train station wasn't big enough. The planetarium was also getting old. So, SWOMSI's leaders looked for a new space. They asked Lane County for land in the new Alton Baker Park.
After this, SWOMSI changed its name. It became the Willamette Science and Technology Center (WISTEC). They got a lot of money to build a new museum. Many groups helped out, like Lane Community College and the University of Oregon.
A New Building and Name Changes
The current WISTEC building was built from 1978 to 1979. It also included a new planetarium. WISTEC opened in its current spot in 1980.
For a while, the planetarium was separate from the museum. But in 2002, it closed due to money problems. In January 2002, WISTEC changed its name again. It became The Science Factory. In 2003, the planetarium became part of The Science Factory. The museum was then called the Science Factory Children's Museum & Planetarium.
The name went back to Science Factory in 2016. Then, in January 2018, it officially became the Eugene Science Center.
Exploring the Exhibits
The Eugene Science Center has a planetarium and a big exhibit hall. This hall has both permanent and changing exhibits.
The Amazing Planetarium
The Eugene Science Center Planetarium is owned by the museum since 2002. It can seat 70 people. It uses a special digital projector to show stars and planets. This projector shines onto a 40-foot dome.
The planetarium offers live and pre-recorded digital shows. You can see them on Friday mornings and all day on weekends. They also have shows every day during the summer! On Friday and Saturday nights, you can even enjoy laser shows.
In 2017, the old projector broke. But after lots of fundraising, a new one was installed in 2018. This new projector is super modern. It uses laser technology. It makes the shows look amazing with clear, high-quality pictures.
Exciting Temporary Exhibits
A big part of the museum's exhibit hall is for temporary exhibits. These are special shows that travel to different museums. They change often, so there's always something new to see!
Some past exhibits have included "Yesterday's Tomorrows" and "Brain Teasers." Others were "The Sound of Science" and "A View From Space." These exhibits bring fresh and exciting topics to the museum.
The Tot Spot
If you have younger siblings, they'll love The Tot Spot! This is a special room just for children aged five and under. It's a safe and fun place for them to explore and play.
Community Room
In 2017, the museum turned its conference room into a Community Room. This room is open to everyone during museum hours. It has a vending machine and a community board. You can also sit at tables and chairs to eat snacks or lunch.
Learning and Education
The Eugene Science Center focuses on teaching kids from birth through 8th grade. They offer many special programs, summer camps, and field trips.
They used to have a program called Girls' Science Adventures. This program helped young girls explore careers in math, science, and technology. It connected them with adult female mentors.
The center also offers "YES!YEA! Days." This program combines literature, art, and science. They partner with the Young Writer's Association for this. For toddlers, there are once-a-month "Tot Discovery Days."
Over the years, the museum has improved its learning spaces. They added a computer lab in 1998. A library and video station were added in 2007. They also created a toddler area in 2004. The classroom was upgraded in 2007, and the planetarium got an upgrade in 2010.
