Exploratory (museum) facts for kids
Brunel's original Great Western station building (1994), home of the Exploratory museum
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| Established | 1987 |
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| Dissolved | 14 September 1999 |
| Location | Bristol, England |
| Type | Science museum |
The Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre was a cool science museum in Bristol, England. It was a special place where you could learn about science by actually touching and trying things out! It was the first museum of its kind in the United Kingdom outside of London.
Contents
Discovering The Exploratory
The Exploratory was started in 1981 by Richard Gregory. He was a professor who studied the brain at Bristol University. His idea was to create a place where science was fun and interactive.
Where Was The Exploratory Located?
When it first opened in 1987, the Exploratory was located in the city's Victoria Rooms. It stayed there for about two years.
In 1989, the museum moved to a much bigger home. It found a new space at Bristol Temple Meads railway station. This was a very historic building! The museum took up two floors of the original train station building. This building was designed by a famous engineer named Isambard Kingdom Brunel. At this new location, the Exploratory was open to everyone. It also had special learning programs for school groups.
Why Did The Exploratory Close?
The Exploratory closed its doors in 1999. This happened because its lease on the building ran out. A lease is like a rental agreement for a building.
However, a new and even bigger science center opened in Bristol the very next year. This new center was called At-Bristol, and it is now known as We The Curious. It opened in 2000 in a new spot near the historic Floating Harbour.
One cool exhibit from the Exploratory found a new home. A giant acoustic guitar from the museum was moved to the Deutsches Museum in Germany. You can still see it there today!
Images for kids
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The giant guitar was a popular exhibit.
