Orlando Science Center facts for kids
The Orlando Science Center as seen from Harry P. Leu Gardens
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| Established | 1955 |
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| Location | Orlando, Florida |
| Type | Science museum |
| Visitors | +500,000 annually |
| Public transit access |   125 |
The Orlando Science Center (OSC) is a super fun science museum located in Orlando, Florida. It's a special place where you can learn about science and technology by actually doing things! The museum wants to help everyone understand how science works in our world.
The Orlando Science Center is a trusted museum. It's recognized by important groups like the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). It also gets support from different organizations, including the State of Florida. This support helps the museum bring amazing science experiences to everyone.
Contents
History of the Science Center
The museum first opened in 1960 as the Central Florida Museum (CFM). For its first ten years, it was a museum about people and their cultures. It showed collections of old items from Florida and the Caribbean Basin.
In the early 1970s, the museum decided to change. It wanted to become a "hands-on" center for science and technology. In 1973, the museum was renamed to honor a famous astronaut, John Young. He was born in the area.
In 1984, the museum changed its name again to Orlando Science Center. It also grew bigger! In 1985, new areas were added. These included a hall for physical sciences and a special area called Curiosity Corner. This corner was just for younger kids to explore with their hands. The new building was even used in the movie Ernest Saves Christmas! In 1990, another expansion created NatureWorks. This was a preview of a big natural science exhibit.
In 1992, the museum decided to build a brand new, much bigger science center. Construction started in 1995. The new Orlando Science Center opened on February 1, 1997. It is six times larger than the old building! Today, JoAnn Newman is the president and CEO of the science center.
Exciting Exhibits to Explore
The Orlando Science Center has many cool exhibits. Here are some of them:
- NatureWorks - 1st Floor - This exhibit helps you learn about the amazing natural world. It focuses on the different environments in Central Florida. You can see plants and animals from coral reefs, cypress swamps, and mangrove areas. You'll discover how living and non-living things work together.
- KidsTown - 2nd Floor - Imagine a miniature town just for kids! This area teaches science ideas through fun activities. You can play roles and use your whole body to learn new things.
- Kinetic Zone - 2nd Floor - This area is full of hands-on exhibits. You can explore forces like electricity and gravity. You'll also learn about Isaac Newton's Laws of Motion. Visitors can design, build, and test their own creations here.
- The Hive: A Makerspace - 3rd Floor - This is a creative space where you can make, learn, and share. It's a place to try new things and learn from both successes and mistakes.
- Fusion: A STEAM Gallery – 3rd Floor Mezzanine - This is the museum's art gallery. It mixes art with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEAM). All the art here combines art and technology. The exhibits in the gallery change from time to time.
- DinoDigs - 4th Floor - Step back in time with this exhibit! You'll see copies of dinosaur fossils and ancient sea creatures. You can dig for fossils in "Jurassic Ridge." You can also look at real fossilized dinosaur eggs. Compare ancient reptiles and dinosaurs to see how they are alike and different.
- Our Planet - 4th Floor - This exhibit explores the universe and our place in it. Discover the powerful forces that shape Earth. Uncover the mysteries of our solar system. You can use computers to see images from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope. There are also hands-on stations to explore strange and familiar science. You can even try the Virtusphere, a giant ball you can walk inside!
- Observatory - 6th Floor - This is where you can look at the stars! It has Florida's largest public telescope. There are also smaller telescopes for stargazing. The Crosby Observatory is open at special times for SunWatch (looking at the sun) and for viewing stars and planets at night.
Traveling Exhibits
The Science Center often has special exhibits that visit for a few months. These "traveling exhibits" bring new and exciting topics to explore.
Awesome Theaters
The Science Center has two movie theaters. They show educational films, Hollywood movies, and even laser light shows! You can check the Orlando Science Center website for current show times.
- Dr. Phillips CineDome - This theater has a giant screen, about 8,000 square feet! The screen wraps around you. Films are shown through a special lens that makes the image surround the audience. It uses a huge film format, much bigger than regular movies.
- Digital Adventure Theater - This theater is part of a national effort with National Geographic. It has access to many amazing films in 2D and 3D digital formats. This theater also shows some Hollywood movies. Plus, you can see live science shows like Kaboom! and High Voltage here.
Fun Annual Events
The Orlando Science Center hosts several exciting events each year:
- Spark STEM Fest - This four-day event lets you experience and learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). You can interact with experts and see the future of games and design. Check out the latest medical and military technologies. You can also attend workshops and see art that mixes with technology.
- Science Night Live - This event is for grown-ups, but it's all about science fun! It includes science trivia, experiments, 3D films, and special presentations. You can also enjoy laser light shows and look at stars and planets through the giant telescope.
