Striking New Connecticut Science Center Opens in Hartford

Soaring more than 180 feet above the nearby Connecticut River, and topped with what's been called a Magic Carpet roofline, the new Connecticut Science Center has opened to the public after nearly a decade of planning. The center houses over 150 brand-new exhibits in 10 different galleries, plus a 300-seat theater, all designed to combine learning and fun for the expected 400,000 annual visitors.

The building itself is a testament to advances in science. Over 95 percent of the steel used in construction - some 2,500 tons of it - was made from recycled cars. Much of the accessible roof areas, which will provide observation decks and activity space, is planted with trees and vegetation that increase the energy efficiency of the center itself.

Corporate sponsors - many of them based in Connecticut - have made major contributions to the Science Center. The Phoenix Science Plaza, which provides access to the Connecticut River waterfront, was endowed by a Hartford-based insurance company. So, too, was the Travelers Science Hall, a two-story glass enclosure overlooking the river that will serve as the site for a variety of public educational programs. The Pfizer Foundation Science Discovery Center features four specially-equipped laboratories in which visitors can explore different disciplines - including a Forensic Science Lab, a Distance Learning Lab, a Wet Lab and Mission Simulator.

The United Technologies Gallery is the site of an exhibition entitled "Exploring Space," where students can examine a highly-detailed projection globe of the moon, or take the controls for a virtual-reality tour of the planet's surface in a Mars Flyover.

The Aetna Gallery offers an exhibit called "The Picture of Health," which examines the human body, including fascinating ways to look at muscles and bones in motion, or listening to internal organs through a Doppler stethoscope.

Other major exhibits include topics as diverse as Planet Earth, Smart Energy, Sports Lab and A River of Life.

The digital 3D theater will offer a revolving schedule of films, including the initial schedule of "3D Sun" and "Dinosaurs Alive.

The Connecticut Science Center will be a destination for school field trips for students from across New England. Already, more than 600 teachers have been trained by Science Center staff to improve their science teaching skills, as part of the center's aggressive educational outreach plans.

The Connecticut Science Center is easily accessible, located at the intersection of interstates 84 and 91 in downtown Hartford. It is one of the centerpieces of an ongoing redevelopment of the city's downtown and waterfront areas in the Adrian's Landing neighborhood. The center is open seven days a week in July and August, and Tuesday through Sunday during the rest of the year.