Ontario Science Centre facts for kids
 |
|
The OSC encompasses an IMAX Dome theatre
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Former name | Centennial Museum of Science and Technology |
|---|---|
| Established | September 26, 1969 |
| Location | 770 Don Mills Road Toronto, Ontario M3C 1T3 |
| Type | Science centre |
| Accreditation | Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) |
| Visitors | 900,225 |
| Architect | Raymond Moriyama |
| Owner | Government of Ontario |
| Public transit access |  [[|25]] [[|34]] [[|100]] [[|925]]   Science Centre (opening 2024) Science Centre (opening 2031) |
The Ontario Science Centre (OSC) is a fun and interactive science museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It's located about 11 kilometers (7 miles) northeast of downtown in an area called Flemingdon Park. The building is built into the side of a beautiful wooded ravine near the Don River.
In April 2023, the government of Ontario announced plans to move the Science Centre to a new, smaller location on the Toronto waterfront. This idea has caused a lot of discussion and many groups are against the move.
Contents
History of the Science Centre
Planning for the Ontario Science Centre began in 1961. At that time, Toronto was growing very quickly. In 1964, the Premier of Ontario, John Robarts, announced that a new "Centennial Centre of Science and Technology" would be built. This was part of Canada's 100th birthday celebrations in 1967.
The famous Toronto architect Raymond Moriyama designed the building. Construction started in 1966. Even though it was meant to open in 1967, it took two more years to finish.
The Science Centre officially opened to the public on September 28, 1969. On its first day, 9,000 visitors came to explore! Its first advertising slogan was "Come see what would happen if Albert Einstein and Walt Disney had gotten together."
When it first opened, the Science Centre was special because of its "hands-on" approach. Unlike older museums where you could only look, most exhibits here were interactive. You could touch, try, and experiment! Many exhibits also had live demonstrations, like metalworking. One popular computer game was tic-tac-toe, played on a large computer called a PDP-11.
By 1974, about 250,000 students visited the Science Centre on field trips every year. In 2001, the Centre started a big project called "Agents of Change." This project updated about 85% of the public spaces and added seven new areas. It finished in 2007 with the opening of the Weston Family Innovation Centre.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, the Science Centre helped share information about COVID-19 vaccines.
Recently, a pedestrian bridge that leads to some exhibits had to close because it was getting old. Now, visitors take a special shuttle bus from the main entrance to the main exhibit area. As of 2023, there are no plans yet to fix or replace the bridge.
On April 18, 2023, Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, announced plans to move the Science Centre. The new location would be at Ontario Place, which used to be a theme park. Many groups and people are upset about this plan. The new location would be much smaller, meaning some exhibits might have to be removed. Also, the new location would cause confusion with a future subway station called "Science Centre station."
The city of Toronto is against the demolition plans. Groups like the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) and Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) also oppose tearing down the original buildings. A group called "Save Ontario's Science Centre" has held rallies and asked the government to change its mind.
Exploring the Grounds
Building Design and Features
The Science Centre buildings were designed in the 1960s. They have a style called Brutalist, which uses a lot of concrete. The complex has three main buildings connected by bridges and escalators. It sits on over 100 acres of parkland. The buildings were built carefully to avoid cutting down or damaging the old trees. This makes the buildings look like they fit naturally into the environment. They follow the natural shape of the Don River ravine.
The Science Centre also has Ontario's only IMAX Dome theatre, which opened in 1996. The Great Hall is a large space for events. It used to have a huge, computer-controlled sculpture called Cloud by artist David Rokeby. It was made of blue and clear squares that moved to show solid, liquid, and gas states.
For many years, the Science Centre has had a demonstration amateur radio station. It's now on Level 4. Licensed amateur radio operators volunteer there daily to show how it works.
-
Buildings connected by escalator
-
Front entrance lobby
-
Valley Restaurant with large windows
-
Amateur radio in level 3
-
The Great Hall used to have Cloud, a kinetic sculpture by David Rokeby.
Outdoor Plaza and Water Fun
.jpg)
The Teluscape Exploration Plaza is an outdoor area next to the main entrance. It has several interactive exhibits. One art piece here is Lotic Meander by Stacey Levy. It shows how water moves in a stream.
The FUNtain Aquatic Play
When the Science Centre first opened, it had a large fountain at the entrance. This fountain has been updated into a new plaza called "Teluscape." It opened in 2006 and is open 24 hours a day.
The new fountain is also a special musical instrument called a hydraulophone. It was designed by artist Steve Mann. You can play it by blocking the flow of water from its 57 water jets. When you block a jet, water is forced into a pipe, making a loud sound like an organ.
The fountain needs to be turned off and drained in winter to prevent freezing. Sometimes, it can even be switched to air operation, becoming a "pneumatic-play" fountain where air jets create sounds. However, as of 2023, the hydraulophone has not been working due to some issues.
Exciting Exhibitions
The Science Centre often hosts special traveling exhibits. In 1982, the "China: 7,000 Years of Discovery" exhibit attracted over 1.5 million visitors!
Other popular exhibits have included:
- Strange Matter (2003)
- Body Worlds 2 (2005), which showed the human body in detail.
- Facing Mars (2008)
- Harry Potter: The Exhibition (2010), featuring props from the movies.
- Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop (2011), with models of his inventions.
- Circus: The Exhibition (2012)
- Game On 2.0 (2013), about the history of video games.
- The Science of Rock 'N' Roll (2014), exploring how science changed music.
- MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition (2015), based on the TV show.
- A special exhibit for the Nintendo 3DS game Kirby: Planet Robobot (2016).
- Canada 150: Discovery Way (2017), celebrating Canadian inventions.
Permanent Galleries and Exhibits
The Science Centre has hundreds of permanent exhibits. These cover topics like geology (the study of Earth), nature, astronomy (space), music, technology, the human body, and communication.
AstraZeneca Human Edge
This gallery, opened in 2013, replaced the old human anatomy exhibit. It explores the amazing things the human body can do. You can try activities that simulate what adventure-seekers and elite athletes experience. There are over 80 exhibits here, including a climbing wall.
Cohon Family Nature Escape
This is an outdoor exhibit located in the Don River Valley behind the Science Centre. It features a giant Baltimore oriole nest, a wall for moss graffiti, and a playground slide made from a huge, fallen 125-year-old eastern white pine tree.
Forest Lane
Forest Lane displays different types of trees and tree trunks from across Canada. One exhibit is a 464-year-old Douglas fir tree. Its growth rings show important world events that happened during the tree's long life.
KidSpark
KidSpark is a special area designed for children aged eight and under. It's a place where younger kids can learn and explore through play. It has a cool rolling ball machine and a music studio.
Living Earth
The Living Earth exhibit lets you experience different environments from around the world. You can explore simulated rainforests, coral reefs, and caves. It even has live animals! This exhibit opened in 1993.
Science Arcade
The Science Arcade is one of the oldest exhibits at the Science Centre. It has been there since the very beginning in 1969. It features many "arcade-style" games that teach you about science.
Space Hall and the Planetarium
The Space Hall was updated in the late 2000s. It has amazing things like meteorites from Mars and one of the few real Moon rocks on public display in Canada. The Ontario Science Centre also has Toronto's only public planetarium that is currently open.
Weston Family Innovation Centre
The Weston Family Innovation Centre encourages visitors to experiment and create. You can try to design a new type of shoe or test your aviation skills. It also features a cool bubble art installation called Pipe Dreams.
Gallery
-
Rock Paper Science Hall (Level 6)
-
The Living Earth (Level 6)
-
A raccoon at the Cohon Family Nature Escape.
-
Shergottite, a Martian meteorite
.jpg)
Science School
The Ontario Science Centre Science School (OSCSS) offers special courses for grade 12 students. These courses focus on STEM subjects like physics, biology, chemistry, and math. Students also learn about science communication. The program is free for students from anywhere in Ontario. While at the Science Centre, students gain experience by volunteering and interacting with visitors.
Media Spotlight
The Ontario Science Centre was featured on the Rick Mercer Report in 2016. In his CBC show, Rick Mercer visited different science exhibits, took part in a wildlife conservation show, and even joined a psychology study!
See also
- List of science centers
