Science World, Vancouver

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I actually had never been inside of Science World until my family came to visit last October (2012). They had a free weekend and it happened to be a rainy weekend, so this was a perfect opportunity to visit. We took the Skytrain to Science World and got there by the time it opened. There were all kinds of interesting displays about science, our world, a small section on the human body, a exhibition on animals and bugs and how things work. They have ongoing exhibits there are there all year round such as: Bodyworks, Eureka, Ken Spencer Science Park, Kidspace and Our World. They also have featured exhibits that are usually on for certain amount of time only. There is also an Omnimax theatre which we did not went in on our visit. They play several different movies throughout the day for everybody to enjoy.

My family enjoyed themselves a lot and we did too. Even our daughter who was about 2 1/2 years old by then had a blast. There is a kids corner where they can play and she loved that as well.

It was very interactive, with a lot of hands on activities. We built a dam. Also there were hourly shows. We went to five out of the six shows. My brother participated and assisted the presenter in two different shows. He helped with making water vapor clouds by pumping air into the container. And he and another girl from the audience, participated in an electricity presentation. They brought a florescent light bulb near a rod to light it up. They dint get too close to the rod because the girl was a little nervous. We also had fun with the outdoor cameras; my dad went out to find the camera and wave. Science world was the best.

That big silver ball is an important part of Vancouver skyline and it's just minutes from downtown. It houses science expositions for children from 3 to 99!! I had a lot of fun and I beg you too so, go and visit it! I don't remember exactly but if you go to the Vancouver Aquarium after visiting Science World, you get a discount showing you ticket. Don't you miss the weekend special events and the triple "O" burgers!!

Recently renamed the Telus World of Science, Science World has been a famous landmark of the Vancouver skyline since its debut at Expo 86.

While Science World is predominately an interactive children's learning centre, it's also home to Vancouver's only Omnimax Theatre.

Unfortunately Science World, in my opinion, hasn't changed much since the 80's, and I find most of its exhibits aimed at children aged 10 and under. This makes a great attraction for families with young kids, but if you're going to visit without children, keep this in mind. Teens and adults might find this place underwhelming otherwise.

The nice thing about Science World is that all the exhibits are interactive. You can peddle bicycles that will create electricity to light up a light bulb. You can press buttons that will create waves in an enormous aquarium. You can puzzle at all the optical illustions. You can play constructive video games about the environment on the computers. You can climb into an actual beaver dam, or look at real living bees working inside their hive.

Science World also has temporary exhibits. Body Worlds 2, for example, was one such temporary exhibit.

While Science World's exhibits are located in the bottom "base" of the building, the Omnimax takes up the entire sphere of the building! The screen is curved around the inside of the sphere, dwarfing the audience. At times when watching the film, you feel as if you're actually there inside the film! It's quite the experience and one that I recommend.

All in all, if you only have a day or two in Vancouver, skip Science World. But, if you have young children with you, or you're in Vancouver for a week and want to do something on a rainy day, Science World might be interesting, as long as you include a trip to the Omnimax Theatre.

When I was a young girl, my Girl Guide troop organized an overnight sleepover at Science World. The permanent exhibits include an area where you can test your strength and flexibility, an area where you can explore electricity, light and sound (don't miss the shadow wall!) and a section about optical illusions. There are also galleries dealing with BC's flora and fauna. The temporary exhibits are always changing, and inside the dome there is an IMAX theatre showing educational films. Science World is a great place for kids, but of little interest to adults whose patience will wear thin as parents push their toddlers to the front of the line, ignoring the grown-ups who have been patiently waiting their turn (no really, I'm not bitter!).

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Under the giant mirror ball at the end of the False Creek harbour in the city of Vancouver, sits Science World in which can be found many interesting and educational exibits. Some interactive environments, and exhibits. And lately, one of the most incredibly interesting exhibits is on. Called: Body Worlds 3, an exhibit of the human body stripped bare, in positions of movement. This exihibit is open to visitors of all ages. They recommend that children under 13 are accompanied by an adult. The eyes and genitals of the bodies remain, and there are several areas that explore reproduction. A section of the exhibition highlights prenatal development and includes embryos and fetuses. The specimens come from voluntary body donors who agreed that, upon their death, their bodies could be used for public display in a Body World's exhibition. All specimens are preserved by a process called Plastination invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens. The plastinates are odourless and completely dry, each is accompanied by a written description in English. There is one area where visitors may touch specimens, other wise it's hands off!
The poses the bodies have been placed in, make them look still alive, and ready to jump around.

We went here on a Bank Holiday so it was packed with kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not a bad place with some good exhibits, a few we couldn't work out!! There have some shows, live and on screen which were very imformative and educational. It is more geared towards children but there was enough for us adults to enjoy too.

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This is a absolute MUST DO if you have kids! What a blast! My son is 6 and he thought this was one of the highlights of our trip to Vancouver - actually, so did I! We spent a good 4 hours at Science World. So many 'hands on' things to try! It is SO FUN that it's hard to believe it is educational!

This place is just fun. There are many interactive exhibitions and demonstrations of science stuff. The displays are engaging enough for people of any age making this a place to either take the kids or a date. The OMNIMAX screen in the upper section of the dome seats 400 people. My friend that worked there told me that they once had this 5 storey high screen hooked up to a Nintendo.

The really good thing is that there is a good turnover of exhibits and exhibitions so you can go back every 3 months and it will be a bit different. It's $9.50 Cdn to get in and another extra $5 to see the Omnimax presentation. It's worth it.

The building is sometimes known by locals as "the golfball". This geodesic dome was built as the Expo Centre building for Expo 86. When Science World needed a larger space they got public and private support to help move into the building. In 1988, in a four month preview, over 310,000 visitors came to see the new building.

Vancouver's science centre sits underneath a huge "golf ball" like structure at the eastern edge of False Creek. It's not as large as similar facilities in other cities but still provides an interesting array of exhibits for kids and adults alike.

HOURS:
Monday to Friday from from 10 am to 5 pm
Weekends and holidays from 10 am to 6 pm

RATES:
Adults: $13.75
Children under 4: Free
Everyone else: $9.50

Family Rate: $46.50
Up to 2 adults & 4 children

Additional price for OMNIMAX theatre