Winchester Science Centre facts for kids
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| Former names | INTECH (2002–2013) |
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| Coordinates | 51°03′35″N 1°15′56″W / 51.05983°N 1.26544°W |
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| Opened | 2002 |
| Renovated | 2016 |
Winchester Science Centre (previously known as INTECH) is a hands-on, interactive, science and technology centre located in Morn Hill, just outside the city of Winchester in Hampshire, England. The centre opened in 2002 after major grants from amongst others the Millennium Commission, IBM, SEEDA and Hampshire County Council to replace an existing facility. It is a registered charity under English law.
The centre welcomes over 185,000 visitors each year and houses a range of interactive exhibits, aimed at a core audience of children aged 5-12 years old. The dome is now a state-of-the-art digital planetarium seating 168.
Description
Winchester Science Centre offers two floors of hands-on science exhibits and the UK's largest standalone planetarium, with a daily programme of full-dome films and presenter-led shows. A new immersive zone, Explorer:Space, opened on the lower exhibition floor in 2018. This includes 20 modular exhibits, covering everything from meteorites to stardust, robots to coding, and atmospheric pressure to human space flight. The Science Centre also has an on-site cafe facility. During weekends and school holidays, the Invention Studio is open to the public and live science shows are run throughout the day. The Invention Studio is a space for exploring, creating, constructing and getting hands-on with science-themed activities and challenges. Live shows are demo-led and performed by the centre's team of 'Inspirers'. These are based on a scientific theme that changes approximately each month.
The on-site education team offer a variety of tailored workshops for primary and secondary level students within the Winchester Science Centre classrooms. Workshop themes include space, robots, rockets and biology. Out-reach is also offered, with an inflatable mobile planetarium available to hire as well as a full-day science and engineering challenge that can be delivered inside schools.
Winchester Science Centre is the Contract Holder for STEMNET in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. As Contract Holder, the Science Centre brokers relationships with over 700 trained STEM Ambassadors each of whom volunteer their time for free to secondary schools in the area. The Science Centre also offers educational advice to teachers.
The monthly "After Dark" events and Space Lectures are a popular addition to the programme and are tailored towards adults. Winchester Science Centre is also available to hire for private or corporate functions.
