Science Museum Ready to Illuminate Again

Photos courtesy Canada Science and Technology Museum

After three years of reconstruction the new Canada Science and Technology Museum is being unveiled. On November 17, the long awaited $80 million-dollar museum will open its doors, and the public will not be disappointed.

Visitors enter the museum through an immersive LED canopy, which serves as a projection screen. The current light show being featured is titled Ingenia, and it projects a three-minute looping video relying heavily on images from nature. The light show promises to be especially impressive at night.

Through the doors of the new Canada Science and Technology Museum there are 11 new exhibitions, as well as a flex space for temporary exhibits and a demonstration stage. The stage stands at the heart of the museum, and talks and demonstrations performed there will also be livestreamed to a larger audience.

Almost everything in the museum is new, but there are some old favourites returning – like the Crazy Kitchen. It was the museum's original, interactive experience, dating back to 1967. Today, it maintains the original interior that past visitors know and love.

The museum's dazzling centre hall features Artifact Alley, which displays more than 700 artifacts. Other permanent exhibits include: Wearable Tech, Technology in Our Lives, Sound by Design, From Earth to us, Hidden Worlds, Into the Great Outdoors and Medical Sensations.

“The team’s focus here has been to build for a multi-generational audience. So, for people from 2 to 92 years old there are experiences designed for them in each exhibit in the museum. While the young toddler might be down low touching and engaging with the interactives, the parent might be reading or seeing something else,” says Christina Tessier, the museum’s director general.

Another new exhibit sure to be popular with families is ZOOOM – the Children’s Innovation Zone. It has been designed for children 8 years old and under, who will love this hands-on exhibition complete with a designated toddler area, climbing wall, vehicle building station,  test ramps and a light and sound console.

“We are different from other museums because we are a hybrid. You will see things in here that you associate with science centre style interactives but we also have a collection of amazing artifacts. We strike a balance between the two.”

Another addition which sets the new museum apart from the older model is the temporary exhibition space which will rotate through multiple exciting exhibits throughout the year.

“For the first time, we have a special exhibition hall. We are thrilled to be able to bring new exhibitions and our own exhibitions into that space. Right now, there is a ‘Video Game Changers” exhibition, which is one our museum has produced. The idea is to bring some bigger exhibitions in as well as keep creating our own.”

The museum itself is complete, but the collection and conservation next door to the museum is still under construction. It is expected to be finished sometime next year. The museum opens to the public Friday at 9 a.m.