- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee |
- All
770 Don Mills Road
North York, ON M3C 1T3
(416) 696-1000
North York, ON M3C 1T3
(416) 696-1000
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
9 reviews for Ontario Science Centre
All Reviews
Ontario Science Centre
6/8/2010
woo hoo! as late 20-somethings even we had fun here! we swung by since we have city passes but unfortunately arrived with only an hour to spare! parking's typically $8 but we got lucky and no one was manning the parking booth. we quickly entered and were amazed at how large this spot is! at least 3 floors full of interesting, fun exhibits! there are areas to learn about the human body, psychology experiments, forensics, nature, space, physics... just about anything science and it's there! i dispute claims that it's better than the exporatorium in SF - while the are around the exploratorium is nice and the tactile dome can't be beat the ontario science center is HUGE and has at least 3 times as many exhibits!
the most popular machine was probably the aging machine that can take your picture and show you what you may look like in 50 years. even though the museum was about the close there was still a long line to have photos taken.
granted, when this spot is stuffed full of kids fighting to try experiments it probably isn't quite as much fun as what we experienced (since almost everyone was gone we got to run around and play with whatever exhibits were available). if you have a kid they'll LOVE it here and i can definitely see how if you live in the area it'd be worth it to get an annual pass.
Ontario Science Centre
8/11/2010
I agree with Sherwin's review - a LOT of the displays were missing, broken, or outdated.
I think it's a great place to bring the kids... if they break anything, it's not like the Science Centre is gonna notice! ;)
The Poison Dart Frog exhibit and rainforest re-creation area was pretty neat, and probably one of the most memorable parts of our visit.
They also have a neat IMAX-style 3D Dome theatre, but you have to pay extra for that.
Don't like kids? Don't like walking? Probably best to stay away.
Ontario Science Centre
6/7/2010
Review for the Harry Potter Exhibit Only
I love Harry Potter! This exhibit is a must for any Harry Potter fans. An incredible collection of props, costumes and life size sculptures of the Harry Potter world of creatures. It was amazing that they brought the actual buck beak, all the wands and Hagrid's Hut to the museum. I don't want to give away too much of the magic you will see, but there was really so much cool stuff!
I rented the Audio Tour for $5 and it was totally NOT worth it. The clips were so short, that they made me feel a little ripped off. It wasn't really setup for those who read the book, because it was so lacking extra tidbits and it didn't explain anything for those who didn't.
Come after 4:30pm for a cheaper price and don't forget your student ID for an even better deal! $20 cash for parking was also pretty expensive, so carpool.
Ontario Science Centre
8/18/2010
Don't take pictures and don't touch: the harry potter non-interactive exhibit at the ontario science centre
I checked out the exhibit on August 17th. That the security guard's belt buckled security radio squawked incessantly while we walking through the exhibit, pulling us out of the experience was not the main distraction. Neither was the fact that he was standing there cavorting with one of the costumed, in character, female staff talking about "stuff". If your like me, and bought your ticket on the premises, and ended up in line and found out at the last possible minute via a single posted sign upon entry that "cameras are not permitted" (like it's 1992 and having a camera enabled device is a rare thing to have on your person), then you might be "secured" by the security staff.
I was viewing the half blood prince's potion book, which was actually well crafted and very detailed, when Mr. Security walked over and rudely exclaimed "Is that camera on? Well shut that off". The female employee, quickly came over, and pleasantly, while remaining in character, said that it's use would interfere with certain charms. That was cute. What wasn't so cute was the fact that this exhibit was extremely non interactive, with eye's on your back if you happen to walk through with a camera (which is permitted in all the other exhibits). Planning to take any family photos of your kids standing next to Hagrid's awesome wardrobe? Not gonna happen. Even though they sell very expensive "Prisoner of Azkaban" picture frames in the gift store that comprises about 20% of the exhibit, you won't be putting any family pictures from the exhibit in there. What is the point of that?You've already purchased admission tickets to all the movies, bought all the books, own the DVD's, and purchased admission tickets to the exhibit, yet even holding a device that could result in a photo of something you've paid to see infinite times is aggressively panned by security staff? Huh?
Ontario Science Centre
3/8/2010
8 photos
I've haven't been to the Science Centre since the early 1990s. I do seem to recall, however, this place had more "stuff". There were a lot more hands on exhibits, more stuff to play with. They seem to have gutted the halls. What's left seems to make little sense and is full of fluff or simply scientifically incorrect. Consider:
http://www.ontarioscie...
The science centre claims the human genome has 100,000 genes? It's under 30,000 according to the human genome project. The 100K estimate is a decade old before the results of the human genome project.
This place is still crack for kids, however.
Ontario Science Centre
4/11/2010
I use to go all the time as a child. Didn't get to revisit this place until 2007 - which didn't seem too thrilling. However, I went again this year with a friend, and had a better appreciation for the exhibitis at the Science Centre. I took my time to read through the experiments and the exhibits and learned quite a lot.It makes learning fun!
Ontario Science Centre
5/24/2009
Cherished my trip to the centre yesterday. You need at least 3 days to thoroughly enjoy each exhibit at a rate of 2 minute per exhibit. However if you want to do it in a day, start when they open at 10 and pace your time evenly. My personal favourites were the human body, the sports , science and the space sections. Don't miss the aging machine- will show you how you will look after 50 years. You can even download your aging process pics from their website- amazing. Try the hair raising experience at the science section or the creation of your own water bubble portrait - again fantastic. There are so much stuff to do here. Have time- then watch the one of the IMAX movies running currently.
Ontario Science Centre
9/5/2008
Of all the tourist areas in Toronto I have the fondest memories of the Ontario Science Centre, I remember as a child practically vibrating with excitement when we pulled into the parking lot. A lot has changed with the Science Centre since I was a child and while I still do enjoy going I think some of the magic that the building once held has disappeared. The new Science Centre has a great deal of interactive features still does house the fun quasi science that I grew up with at the center you can find out how hard you throw a baseball, you can learn about weights and measures and physics (and they make it all fun). My personal favorite activity is in Science Arcade where you can test your reflexes, sitting in a car seat and having a stop sign flash at you it may not read well, but the line is always long and I always wait. The Science Center is a great place to take kids to get them excited about science. The Science Centre still is one of the premier destinations to take young kids in the city. You can easily spend an entire day at the Science Centre and still want to stay longer. If you are feeling particularly flush I would also recommend going to the omnisphere, mostly because documentaries about the ocean or space are the kind of things you should watch when you go to the Science Centre. I would recommend the Science Centre to everyone and while it perhaps isn't what is was when I was a lad it still is an awesome place to take a wide eyed youth to learn about their world.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile.
Ontario Science Centre
2/2/2010
it's not as fun as the exploratorium or the academy of sciences in san francisco. it was just aiiiiiiiiiiight.
