Museum Review: Louisville, Kentucky, Science Center

What started out as a dry goods warehouse in 1878 is now Kentucky's largest hands on museum. This cast iron facade building was purchased by the city of Louisville in 1975, and the museum opened its doors soon after in 1977.

Located at 727 West Main Street in Louisville Kentucky, the Louisville Science Center now draws an annual 550,000 visitors to its state of the art facility on museum row. With over 150,000 square feet of exhibits the Louisville Science Center also includes a four story IMAX Theatre. You can also click on www.louisvillescience.org and see for yourself what this museum has to offer.

Over 3 million people have watched at least one of the 45 films which have been presented at the IMAX theatre since it's opening in 1988. The Science Center has also won several design awards for its quality preservation of this old building in historic downtown Louisville.

Once inside this spacious facility you're free to experience Kentucky's leading resource of "Informational Science Education" with an estimated 150 interactive exhibits. So sit back and relax as we take a tour of this state of the art learning facility.

Exhibits:

The first permanent exhibit to open at the Louisville Science Center is the "World We Create" exhibit which opened in 1997. This exhibit at the museum showcases 12,500 square feet of hands on experience, with over 40 activity stations involving such fields as: Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and

Telecommunications. Demonstrations at this exhibit encourage the visitor to learn how math, science, and technology work in their everyday life. Traveling versions of this exhibit have been displayed in museums across the nation as well as the Netherlands.

The next permanent exhibit to open at the museum in 1998 is the renovated and renamed "KidZone," which is designed for children seven years and younger. In this exhibit children can visit "Take Off" and experience a climbing structure, or hop into an airplane. Then you can check out "Hop On" and climb aboard either a mass transit bus, or an ambulance, and experience life in the fast lane.

Featured at the KidZone at the science center are "Blast Off," which features a lunar module, and also "Let's Build," which puts children in control of a construction site. Also don't forget to check out "Splash" which is a popular water-play area. KidZone now has an annual attendance close to 70,000 visitors.

The "World Within Us" is also a permanent exhibit at the museum and opened in 2001. The sciences of health and life are the primary focus of this exhibit, and features 10,500 square feet of displays with 75 interactive components. Three individual galleries teach each visitor to the museum fact based information about the process of good health.

At the "Body Watch" gallery you can take a journey inside seven body systems which examine the workings of each system. The "Time Zone" gallery demonstrates to the visitors how activities are important to healthy living in each stage of life. But, before you leave the "World within Us" make sure to check out the "Breakthrough Gallery" and the "Science Heroes" which show the accomplishments and careers of medical researchers.

The last permanent exhibit at the Louisville Science Center to open is the "World Around Us" exhibit, which opened in 2005. This 8,000 foot exhibit showcases our natural and Earth sciences. Visitors learn the impact we have on our planet as our "ecological footprints" are left throughout our lives. Center stage at this exhibit demonstrates three ecological galleries.

The first gallery deals with the atmosphere, which is the air that surrounds us. The next gallery demonstrates how the aquasphere (which is the water on our planet) sustains us. And the third gallery is the terrasphere; which relates to our environment.

An expansion is planned to create a new $1 million "Science Education Wing" on the first floor of the center. This new wing will encompass more than 5,300 square feet of exhibits, and will include four science workshop labs which will also be equipped with the Hands-On Learning Experience.

Also make sure to check out the new Titanic exhibit which will be open until February 15th, 2010. This exhibit showcases stories and also artifacts which were recovered from the Titanic.

Admission:

Admission to the Louisville Science Museum is $12 for adults, and $10 for children between 2 -12 years of age. Combination passes which include the IMAX theatre and the museum can also be purchased at $15 for adults, and $12 for children. Special rates for senior citizens and students are also available. On Fridays and Saturdays after 3pm admission is only $5, which includes either the museum or the IMAX Theatre.

To purchase advance tickets call: (502) 561-6100 ext. 6111.

Hours of operation:

Monday -Thursday: 9:30 am - 9 pm
Friday and Saturday: 9:30 am - 9:00 pm
Sunday: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm

Directions:

The Louisville Science Museum is conveniently located on West Main Street between 7th and 8th Streets. Parking for the museum is located at the corner of River Road and 8thStreet. The parking fee is: $5 a day before 3 pm, and $3 a day after 3 pm.

The Louisville Science Center has made quite a unique journey from its beginning as a cabinet of curiosities in 1871, to its recent status as the leading resource for informational education. Designated as the "State Science center of Kentucky," this is one experience not to miss.

Sources for this article:

www.louisvillescience.org
www.wikipedia/louisvillesciencecenter.com