Since the very first day I noticed the construction of the new science centre, Telus Spark, I have been on the tips of toes wanting to go. When I finally saw the finished purple and blue structure resembling an ice castle driving down Deerfoot Trail, I was extremely, EXTREMELY excited.
There are a few differences between the new science centre and the old one. Firstly, the ticket cost around $16 for youth (age 13-17) plus an additional charge of $5 for parking – unless you want to take the less costly method of transportation of taking the c-train to the zoo station where you would then have to walk over (weigh the costs of laziness vs. saving money).
Spark is divided into 3 sections: Energy & Innovation, Earth & Sky, and Being Human. Being Human was my favourite section because it had some fun areas such as the stress detector, flirting experiment (awkward when you see mother-son or brother-sister partners), jumping competition that provided some pretty amusing and hilarious videos that could be watched after, and Andy Warhol’s smell museum.
Spark is quite spacious; however, it did not seem as interactive and “sciencey.” Maybe it could have been that the science center is still new, but a lot of activities were mind-puzzling and we did not exactly know what was being demonstrated in regards to science. Some demonstrations seemed like they were not complete because there were instructions to find certain things that were not present. I was most disappointed to find out that the dome theatre was not open until Spring 2012, since that is one of the main reasons why people love the science centre.
All in all, I think the new science centre is off to a good start and I look forward to revisiting it once the dome theatre is open! Have you checked out the new science centre yet?
Thank you for taking the time to review! TELUS Spark actually has four exhibit galleries and an expanded and enhanced Creative Kids Museum. Open Studio was missed in your review, you’ll find plenty of interactivity there as you can make your own animations and email them to yourself, design your own robot and create fashion from unexpected materials. If you’re wanting more science based programming definitely visit the Presentation Theatre live-demonstrations. Please let staff know should there be missing materials or if you have questions about how to interact with a certain exhibit, they will be happy to assist you or help you discover and exhibit tailored to your particular interest. For full listing of events to get the most value for your visit go to http://www.sparkscience.ca/events