Science World, Vancouver

One of the legacies of Expo 86. Science World sits on the banks of False Creek in the Vancouver waterfront. The Giant dome is actually the movie screen for the Omnimax theatre. One of the largest screens of its kind stretching to 27 meters! There are also many interactive exhibitions inside....check the website for whats going on during your visit.

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.

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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.

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

From cyclone chambers to shadow walls, Science World is a ball of fun! BC's premiere science centre features hands-on exhibits and activities guaranteed to entertain and educate. Also home of the Alcan OMNIMAX Theatre.

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.

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!!

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.

Science World is a great for all ages, beginning with a maze right in front of the building. There are many hands-on displays, making science a living thing. We could have easily spent the day there, although we only had three hours. I noticed lots of little kids, but the displays were engaging enough for my two teenagers (and husband). There were even a couple of young couples who looked like they were on a date.

We watched one Omnimax movie mostly about skydiving, but since the Imax screen makes me sick, I took a little nap during half of it. Everyone else said it was great.

Some of my favorite activities were the little puzzles near the entrance, the musical displays on the second level, and the pulleys. There was an area for young children, but since we didn't have any with us, we didn't go there. I wish I could have spent some time reading the information in the Genome Project, but I hate to be shooed out, so I left before that happened.

The tent city for Vancouver homeless is several meters away from the entrance to Science World, which might make some people uncomfortable, but it also provides stimulus for conversation with your kids, if they're old enough.

All in all, it was a terrific way to spend a couple of hours, especially if you have kids (or an inquisitive mind).

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!).