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| - Just like everyone else, the Science Centre was the best place on earth when I was a kid. The anticipation walking down the looooong red hallway with the forest in the background, and going down So Many escalators to reach the first floor of funness!
(It was always the Space Floor, and the one I dread because this is where my dad forced me to read what the activity was about before I can shoot metal balls into a hole that simulated a satellite) I only figured this out when I went again as a teenager. I never understood it and only pretended I did.
This review is about what was past, and it comes from someone who went there a lot as a kid. It's hard not to compare.
Lucky for me this exhibit is still around, however, a lot aren't. Yes, we loved this place as a kid, but going back 15 years later, it's really lost it's edge. Is it because we are taller and jaded?? I think it's also because they have completely re-done the place - taking out a lot of the interesting games/learning/exhibits and replaced them with computers, free for all "creative space" (Innovation Centre) that is a mess, and a Kiddie Area that I'm not allowed into because I'm too old.
From what I remember, the entrance hall into the main 'fun' physics area was the best part. There were so many random things happening, that it was a crazy fun science theme park. Now it seems sparse and lacks the encouragement for kids to discover.
The physics/logic/music area hasn't really changed since I was a kid. This means these exhibits are over 30 years old! Except they get moved around. Again it seems sparse and doesn't engage the kids as much as it used to. I remember running from place to place wanting to touch everything. They seem so far away from each other now.
The Communication (MindWorks) area is the best one. Not really fit for kids under the age of 12, but if you actually read each one of the exhibits and activities, it gives a lot of insight into the human mind, how it works, and the weird tricks we play. The other part of it is the Truth section of this, that helps you discover how your bias and believes can effect the way you think.
I was really disappointed with the So called "Innovation Centre". The place was a mess, and are kids supposed to learn something here? It was just paper all over the place, and I'm not sure what they are supposed to do. What happened to organized learning, rather then letting your child roam free - it's a science centre after all.
For the 20 or so years, we've seen sections come and go, and then your favourites disappear. Remember the Food Section? There was a huge plastic table with numbers, and a punch card you can write which foods you would eat for breakfast lunch and dinner. You put it into a machine, and it'll tell you if you have a balanced diet or not.
I remember the place was a mess with the little pencils and paper everywhere, and it smelt funny due to the machine you press buttons and it spits out a small paper with smells on it.
My dad and I loved the Japanese diorama here, that goes through the day of an olden japanese fishing village using sounds and lights. It was delicate, and serene. All of this has gone now.
I also liked the Sports section, full of old sports history and how things work. There was even a small rock climbing wall and that platform that you jumped off and they tell you if you land too hard or not. There was also that wheelchair racing section too! This has gone to the deadpool as well.
As you get older, the appeal to keep going to the science centre starts to wane. That first time you visit when you're older it's the best thing and it's nostalgic. Then you go another time, and things just don't seem as fun. Even writing this, I want to go again, however, I know that when I read the exhibits, I already know what it's about, and then will pass it along. I think the next time I will go will be with a child. It'll be a whole new experience then.
The OSC has a lot more to offer than meets the eye. The school groups get taken to the back areas with areas only open for them. They used to have a whole simulated space station, from the computer on land, to what you would do in the rocket. I went once with a Space Camp.
If you're a parent reading this, YES take your kid here. Supposedly, in addition to all these exhibits, there special workshops and shows (like how to make paper) but everytime I go there, it doesn't seem like they happen - I would check.
If you're an adult looking for some fun, and you've never been here before, it's worth a visit at least once. I would go for a movie or special exhibit that gives you combined admission to the place.
If you're an adult looking for nostalgia, it's fun, but be warned: you might be disappointed. It seems so much less than it used to be, but you'll definitely have more fun than when you went with your parents - you get to choose what you want to see!
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