Powerhouse Science Center facts for kids
| Established | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Location | 1333 Camino del Rio Durango, Colorado |
| Type | Science museum |
The Powerhouse is a super fun science museum in Durango, Colorado. It's a place where kids can learn about science by doing cool activities! It used to be called The Durango Discovery Museum. This museum first opened its doors on February 23, 2011. What's really neat is that it's built inside an old power plant!
Contents
The Powerhouse: A Historic Science Spot
The Powerhouse building is very old! It was built way back in 1892. It used to be the Durango Light and Power Company. This plant was special because it used alternating current (AC) power. AC power is the kind of electricity we use in our homes today. Durango had AC street lights even before many big cities in the eastern United States!
Because of its history, the museum teaches a lot about energy. You'll find exhibits and programs all about how energy works. The building itself is a historic place. It has a special Mission-style look. Even the old boiler room is still there. Now, it's used as the science center's theater!
The museum is located right next to the Animas River. It's also along the Animas River Trail. The city of Durango wanted to make the riverfront a better place for everyone. The Powerhouse helps bring more visitors to Colorado. You can find the museum at 1333 Camino Del Rio, Durango, Colorado.
Fun Events and Activities
The Powerhouse has hosted many exciting events. In 2014, they helped organize the Four Corners FIRST LEGO League. This is a regional competition where teams build and program Lego Robotics to solve challenges. It's a great way for kids to learn about engineering and teamwork!
Reopening as The Powerhouse Science Center
The Durango Discovery Museum closed for a short time in May 2015. This happened because of money problems. But the community really wanted the museum to stay open! So, different groups worked together to reorganize it. They reopened the museum as The Powerhouse Science Center.
As part of this new start, they also created a special place called a maker lab and hackerspace. This is a small building on the property. It's a place where people can invent things and work on projects. It gives the community a "tinkerspace" and offers cool workshops.
The Powerhouse in Media
A documentary film called Hacking at Leaves was made about the Powerhouse MakerLab. This film shows how the lab helped during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The MakerLab played a very important role. They made medical equipment for the Four Corners region. They especially helped the Navajo Nation, which was greatly affected by the pandemic.
