Pacific Science Center facts for kids
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| Former name | United States Science Pavilion (part of World's Fair in Seattle) |
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| Established | 1962 |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, US |
| Type | Science center |
| Architect | Minoru Yamasaki |
The Pacific Science Center is a fun science museum in Seattle, Washington. It's a place where you can explore and learn about science through hands-on activities. More than a million people visit each year! The center wants to spark your curiosity and help you discover new things through experiments and smart thinking.
The main campus is located next to Seattle Center. It also has a special learning center in Bellevue, Washington. This center helps people of all ages learn about nature and how to protect the environment.
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How the Science Center Works
The Pacific Science Center is built on about 7 acres of land. It's in the southwest part of Seattle Center.
Besides the main campus, there's the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center. This center teaches about wetlands and nature. The Science Center also offers many programs all year. These include summer camps and special events for families.
The Science Center has a program called "Science On Wheels." Vans full of science activities travel to schools. They bring hands-on learning to students all over the Pacific Northwest. There are also staff members who help teachers teach science better.
A Look at the History
The buildings of the Pacific Science Center were first built for the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle. They were called the United States Science Pavilion. The famous architect Minoru Yamasaki designed them. The World's Fair had five main areas, and this was the "World of Science." It was located near the Space Needle and some cool arches.
The fountains at the entrance even appeared in a movie! It was called It Happened at the World's Fair and starred Elvis Presley. After the World's Fair ended, the science pavilion became the Pacific Science Center. For many years, the center rented the land and buildings for just $1 a year. In 2004, they officially became the owners.
The 1960s at the Center
In the 1960s, many exhibits from the World's Fair stayed at the center. Only a few of these original exhibits are still there today. You can still see the Lens and Mirror Machine. There's also a model of the Earth's moon hanging from the ceiling.
One cool exhibit from the World's Fair was an "illusion ramp." Buildings on this ramp looked tilted. This exhibit was rebuilt in the late 1990s. The domed Spacerium, now called the Seattle Laser Dome, showed wide-angle movies about space. Before it became an IMAX theater, it showed films like NASA's Apollo 8 mission.
A woman named Dixy Lee Ray was the Science Center director for many years. She later became the governor of Washington state. She helped get kids excited about science. She even hosted a science TV show for school children.
The 1970s and New Exhibits
In the mid-1970s, a math area had a big exhibit called Mathematica: A World of Numbers... and Beyond. People in orange jackets, called "OJs," would show how to make soap bubbles. They also talked about the Metric system.
Upstairs, a large "probability machine" would drop balls and ring an alarm. These exhibits were first made for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. They were removed around 1980.
An aerospace building had a full-sized model of a lunar module. Astronauts would climb out of it! The Life Building had a replica of a First Nations longhouse. It also had a working model of Puget Sound.
Presenters would do fun science demonstrations. For example, they might pour liquid nitrogen into ponds. These presenters were part of the "OJ" program. These were students who worked as tour guides and helpers.
The Eames theater was first made for a special movie at the World's Fair. In 1979, it became an IMAX screen. This was the first of two IMAX theaters at the center.
Growth in the 1980s
The Pacific Science Center grew a lot in the 1980s. George Moynihan became the executive director in 1980. He led the center for 20 years.
In 1984, the center hosted a big exhibit called China: 7000 Years of Discovery. It was a huge success! This helped the Pacific Science Center become a top science museum. Later, the center hosted exhibits with robotic dinosaurs. This led to a permanent dinosaur display in the 1990s.
The center also opened several new exhibits. These included Kids Works, Body Works, an animal area, and a tide pool.
Building Design and Art
Minoru Yamasaki designed the Pacific Science Center buildings. His design made him famous around the world. He later designed the World Trade Center in New York City. The buildings have many pre-cast concrete slabs that form an arch shape. This arch design was a favorite of Yamasaki's.
In 2013, the Science Center asked artists to create public art using solar energy. A Seattle artist named Dan Corson designed "Sonic Bloom." It has five tall flower sculptures, like the Australian firewheel tree. These flowers use solar panels to make electricity. They hum when people get close and light up at night.
IMAX and Permanent Exhibits
Today, the Pacific Science Center has eight buildings. It has two IMAX theaters, which is rare! It also has one of the world's largest Laser Dome theaters. You can visit a tropical butterfly house and a planetarium. There are hundreds of hands-on science exhibits to explore. Besides the permanent exhibits, the center also hosts many traveling exhibits.
See also
- List of science centers
- List of most-visited museums in the United States
