I’m a nerd at heart so when we had the opportunity this past summer to go to the Ontario Science Centre, I was giddy as a child on Easter morning. The anticipation of going from floor to floor in search of my own little nuggets of info and the idea that we’ll be seeing ‘cool’ stuff only got heightened as we parked the car and headed through the doors. Smack in front of us was the mechanical arm Canadian scientists designed for the Space Shuttle… immediately you’re overwhelmed with a deep sense of pride. What a lovely site to be greeted with if it’s your first time at the Ontario Science Centre.
After checking in with the info desk, we decided to make our IMAX reservations so we could plan the rest of our day. Yes, the Science Center is huge and you will need the most part of a day if you plan on seeing and participating in everything. With reservations made for the 4 pm show and with a guide in hand, we headed out to explore. It was summer and the place was packed with children in day camps and group trips, so be prepared during the summer months for crowds. The same can be said for general weekends year long.
The Ontario Science Center was designed in such a way that the building hugs the natural drop of the hillside to the valley floor and you’ll have to make your way down several escalators to get to the many levels of interactive displays. Take a peek out the windows as you make your way down the escalators to see what I mean. Personally I think it’s a clever way to make the building part of the natural environment… at least not to be intrusive.
Still giddy with excitement, we started at the area dedicated to space and space exploration, where it brought back memories of me as a kid in the Caribbean looking up into the heavens hoping to see a UFO. The night sky is very clear in the Caribbean and in those days I wished I had a telescope to really venture into the galaxy. Both Caron and I (yea, our girls didn’t think it was still cool to go to the Science Centre) thoroughly enjoy this area dedicated to space… so did the mass of kids as I think it was the most crowded area.
Rather than bore you with a detailed report of how we spent out day at the Ontario Science Centre, I’ll touch on what stood out, some important info and share some pictures with you. This way I won’t give away too much and take away from the excitement of your planned visit.
Caron is a nurse and not only does she deal with aspects of the human body on a daily basis, she went through a couple years of college as part of her training… but the area dedicated to the human body was not only very informative, but gripping as well (had to drag her out to another area). We were simply amazed at the wealth of information and the manner in which everything was presented. The hands on approach to explain how things work (like the lung display) really assisted in the learning process. The old lab was not only cool to see but a bit scary to know how cave-man-like scientists and doctors used to work in days past. A good chunk of our time was spent here.
There are food stalls on just about every floor (vending machines), but we headed down to the main cafeteria for lunch. Caron opted for the slice of pizza and drink and was quite upset when she saw what i got for the same price she paid. There the option to have a fresh pasta dish made for you as you wait and it’s somewhat cool to see your food being cooked in front of you. My combo came with a drink, main course (pasta) and side salad. I believe it was about $8, but well worth it. The average meal (combo) at the different restaurants cost between $8-$10, so if you don’t plan on packing a lunch.. do walk with your wallet.
After a tasty lunch we headed over to the Amazon area, where you’d swear you were transported directly into the middle of the South American jungle. The light gleaming down though the trees, the sound of water rushing along the little creek and the humid conditions was as close as you could ever get to a tropical jungle in Canada. At this point we were starting to run out of time before the start of the IMAX feature we had made reservations for, so we rushed over to the engineering section (best way I could describe it) before we headed back up to the main entrance. Remember I said I would not touch on everything we did, so don’t be fooled into thinking this is all we did.
After a quick browse of the gift shop, we grabbed a seat for a coffee (just outside the entrance to the theater) as we had been on our feet for the most part of the day. Which reminds me.. wear comfortable shone, walk with a stroller if you have younger children (you can also rent them there I believe) and for a couple dollars you can rent lockers for the day.
The coffee was typical Starbucks and really not my thing, but it was an opportunity to recharge. By this time people were heading into the IMAX theater so it was our call to follow suit. On purchasing your entry ticket to the Ontario Science Centre, you have the option of including your admission to an IMAX feature… well worth the $$ especially if you’ve not had the experience before (like us). The theater is very steep and a bit scary if you’re afraid of heights. Overall a wonderful experience as you senses are really challenged with the huge screen, the amazing sound and overall quality of the production.
Some helpful info on planning your trip to the Ontario Science Centre:
Address – 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, ON M3C 1T3
Fax – 416-696-3166
Phone – 416-696-1000
Toll-Free – 1-888-696-1110
TTY – 416-696-3202
*Parking at the Ontario Science Centre is $10.00 per vehicle (50% off for Members, FREE for Gold Members) and is cash only.
What’s going on: http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/whatson/default.asp
Info on summer day camps: http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/camp/default.asp
Admission prices including discounts and coupons: http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/prices/default.asp
The day we were at the Ontario Science Centre there were a ton of field trips (day camps) and it was pretty loud and hectic with long waits to get to some of the more exciting exhibits, but they were worth the wait. Young or old there’s something for just about everyone and be sure to check with the “what’s going on” link above to get all the latest info on what you can expect when you attend the Science Centre.
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