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Ontario Science Centre
Science museum in Toronto, Ontario From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Ontario Science Centre (OSC; originally the Centennial Museum of Science and Technology) is a science museum and organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The institution was proposed in 1967 as part of Toronto’s Canadian Centennial projects, and opened its original location to the public in September 26, 1969. After decades of use, the original Don Mills Road site was abruptly closed by the Government of Ontario in June 2024. As of 2025[update], the museum operates a small display space in Sherway Gardens mall, awaiting the creation of a permanent location.
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The original site was located near the Don Valley Parkway about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) northeast of downtown on Don Mills Road in the former city of North York. The museum was built on the side of a ravine formed by a branch of the Don River.[2] It comprised a series of buildings at different levels on the steep hill, connected by long escalators. Large windows provided views of the surrounding forest. Exhibits included a simulation of the LEM landing on the Moon, a tic-tac-toe game played against a computer, and a simulated hot cell. The museum also had an outreach program which included touring vans that visited schools around the province.
By the late 1980s, many of the original exhibits were still in use. In 1996 a redesigned entryway was opened, which contained an Omnimax theatre. Beginning in 2001, a redesign started, funded by a mix of public and private capital, which was completed in 2007.
In 2023, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a government plan to replace the Ontario Science Centre with a smaller institution on the Toronto waterfront.[3][4] The following year in 2024, the government announced that the Don Mills location would close permanently after an engineering report identified a high risk of roof collapse.[5] These two announcements drew public opposition and scepticism.[6][7]
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History
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Construction and opening
Planning for the Science Centre started in 1961 during Toronto's expansion in the late 1950s and 1960s.[8] In August 1964, Premier of Ontario John Robarts announced the creation of the Centennial Centre of Science and Technology as a Centennial Project.[9] Toronto architect Raymond Moriyama was hired to design the site. Construction started in 1966 with plans to open the Centennial Centre of Science and Technology as part of the Canadian Centennial celebrations in 1967.[10]
However, construction was not completed in 1967, and the Science Centre did not open to the public until two years later, on September 26, 1969.[11] The official opening was held on the morning of September 27 and attended by a small selected group of invited guests, followed by an opening to 30,000 invited guests in the early afternoon.[9] It opened to the general public on September 28, drawing 9,000 visitors.[9] Its advertising slogan at launch was "Come see what would happen if Albert Einstein and Walt Disney had gotten together."[9]
The buildings and design were part of an effort by the Canadian government to celebrate its 100th birthday.[12] The buildings followed the common style of architecture in the 1960s, the Brutalist style in Canada and other suitable styles globally.
When it first opened in 1969, the Science Centre was known for its hands-on approach to science, along with San Francisco's Exploratorium (1969) and the Michigan Science Center (1970) in Detroit. The majority of the exhibits at the Science Centre were interactive, while others were live demonstrations such as metalworking. The Communications room contained many computerized displays, including a tic-tac-toe game, run on a PDP-11 minicomputer.
By 1974, the OSC hosted around 250,000 students on field trips annually.[13]
Operations from 1990 to 2022
In 1990, the Ontario Science Centre announced a contract with Oman to design a children's museum. The Ontario Science Centre had agreed to boycott Israeli goods and services while under contract.[14] The Ontario Science Centre later amended the contract to specify that all goods sold to Oman would be produced in North America.[15] The centre's Director, General Mark Abbott, was later fired for signing the original contract.[16]
In 2001, the Centre began a project called "Agents of Change," which focused on innovation and renewed about 85% of the Centre's public space, including the creation of seven new experience areas. The Centre received $47.5 million in contributions from the government of Ontario, private sector companies, and individuals. The "Agents of Change" transformation was completed in 2007, culminating in the opening of the Weston Family Innovation Centre and the Teluscape plaza.[17]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, the Science Centre received $500,000 from the Government of Canada to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake among children and their families.[18]
Facility decay, replacement plans, and closure
Due to structural decay, which required the closing of the pedestrian bridge leading to the exhibits, a shuttle bus line ran from 2023 until the Don Mills site's closure, bringing people from the main entrance to Level 6, the site of the main exhibit area at the bottom of a ravine.[19][20] The detour used custom-built Mercedes and Ford minibuses. No plans to repair or replace the bridge had been announced by the time of the site’s closure.
On April 18, 2023, Premier Doug Ford announced the provincial government's plan to relocate the Science Centre to a new facility on Toronto's waterfront, specifically the grounds of Ontario Place.[3][4][21] This announcement was met with widespread public backlash due to concerns about potential downsizing and exhibit losses.[3][4][22] Both the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Toronto Society of Architects condemned the relocation plans,[23] while the grassroots group Save Ontario's Science Centre organized rallies and campaigns to reverse the government's decision.[24] Toronto City Council also sought to keep the Science Centre at its original location.[25]
In December 2023, the Auditor General of Ontario concluded that the government's decision "was not fully informed and based on preliminary and incomplete costing information, and had proceeded without full consultation from key stakeholders or a clear plan for the existing site".[26]
On June 21, 2024, the Ministry of Infrastructure announced the immediate and permanent closure of the Don Mills location, citing an engineering report revealing water damage affecting 2-6% of the building's roofs.[27] The report estimated that repairs would cost at least $22 million and take two years to complete.[28] Safety concerns about the roof material in question, reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC),[29] had caused the temporary or permanent closure of hundreds of buildings in the United Kingdom in 2023.[28] While roughly 400 public buildings in Ontario contain RAAC, the Science Centre is currently the only one in the province closed due to these concerns.[30]
The Ford government expedited its plan to relocate the Science Centre to the waterfront, targeting a 2028 opening, with a temporary location slated for January 2026.[5][31] This drew further criticism, including from Moriyama Teshima Architects, the firm founded by the Science Centre's original architect.[7]
The architects offered to do pro bono design consulting services for the Government of Ontario to support immediate repairs to the roof, and called for other organizations to join the effort to facilitate repairs.[32][33] Private donors, including Geoffrey Hinton, offered up to $1 million to fund repairs for the existing facility,[34][35][36] but the province did not respond to these offers.[37]
Temporary locations and original site uncertainty
By October 31, 2024, most of the exhibits had been moved to storage facilities in northern Toronto and Guelph, while the animals and plants had been transferred to the Toronto Zoo and The Village at Black Creek. Temporary pop-up exhibits have since opened at Sherway Gardens and Toronto's Harbourfront Centre.[38]
In December 2024, the Auditor General of Ontario questioned the financial prudence of the relocation. Contrary to the Ford government's business plan analysis, which projected $257 million in savings over 50 years, the AG found that relocation costs have already exceeded the anticipated savings, reaching approximately $400 million.[39]
In May 2025, Canadian Architect magazine reported that draft versions of the structural engineering report by Rimkus Consulting which were relied on by the Ontario government to close the centre had originally recommended routine repairs and not closure, up until May 2024.[40] This revelation was added to earlier reporting from Global News that Infrastructure Ontario had been in frequent communication with Rimkus in the leadup to the public release of the report in June 2024, and led the magazine to conclude that the language describing the consequences of not doing the routine repair that was later used to justify the closure had been inserted after political pressure.[40][41]
As of August 2025[update], more than a year after the closure, the plans for a replacement facility have been further delayed until 2029, without any solid plans for a temporary location. Employees have also reported issues regarding rodent problems at the Science Centre's exhibit storage building as well as with the new mailing address, working from home concerns, and staff demoralization from the closure's ongoing effects.[42] As of 2025[update], the area around the Science Centre is being developed for the upcoming Ontario Line, which will pass nearby in an overhead track. The station for the line and for Line 5 Eglinton that were originally to be known as "Science Centre station" have been renamed to "Don Valley Station". Security presence, as well as construction and repairs on the roof of the building have also been noticed[clarification needed], all still with no clear plan from the province for what will become of the building.
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Grounds
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Building
Designed in the early 1960s, the original buildings are in the Brutalist architectural style. The building complex is made up of three main buildings connected by a series of bridges and escalators set in a parkland of over 40 hectares (100 acres).[13]: 78 The buildings were constructed while avoiding removal or damage to the mature trees in the area, so that "the buildings seem to fit naturally into their environment".[13]: 78 They follow the natural contours of the Don River ravine, into which the Centre descends. Ontario's only IMAX Dome theatre opened in 1996.[43]
The Great Hall is an event venue at the Ontario Science Centre and is home to Cloud, a large, computer-controlled kinetic sculpture by Toronto installation artist David Rokeby, which consists of an array of blue and transparent squares that rotate in various ways to simulate the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas.[44]
For most of the time since opening in 1969, the Science Centre has hosted a demonstration amateur radio station.[45] Formerly located in the Hall of Space, the station was later relocated to Level 4 of the Centre, next to the elevator.[46] The station has the call sign "VE3OSC",[47] and licensed amateur radio operators volunteer there daily from 10 am to 3 pm.
Buildings connected by escalator
Front entrance lobby
Valley Restaurant with large windows
Amateur radio in level 3
The Great Hall enclosed Cloud, a kinetic sculpture by David Rokeby; this installation has been removed.[citation needed]
Plaza
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Lotic Meander by Stacy Levy is an outdoor installation in polished and blasted granite and cast glass set into the solar terrace of the Ontario Science Centre. The work depicts the patterns of water as it moves through a stream bed.[48] In 2007, the Ontario Science Centre unveiled the Teluscape Exploration Plaza, providing several interactive exhibits adjacent to the science centre's exterior main entrance.
FUNtain Aquatic Play
As originally built, the Science Centre had a large fountain area directly in front of the entranceway intended to create a traffic roundabout. The fountain virtually screened views of the building from the street, and provided cooling for the building.[13]: 78 The area was remodeled to provide a more welcoming and accessible entrance to the Science Centre. The new plaza, named "Teluscape" after a sponsorship by Canadian conglomerate Telus,[49] was designed by Reich + Petch Architects and EDA Collaborative. It opened to the public on September 20, 2006, and is accessible 24 hours a day.[50]
The new fountain, designed by installation artist Steve Mann, is a hydraulophone: a hydraulic-action pipe organ which can be played by anyone walking into the space. Blocking the flow of any of the 57 water jets in the fountain redirects the water to a corresponding organ pipe, causing a note to be played due to changes in air pressure. The lowest 12 notes in each division of the organ are visible as pipes arranged in a circle. The North Division consists of stopped hydrapasons (similar to diapasons but running on water rather than air), whereas the South Division pipes are open at both ends (sound emerges from the ends rather than from a mouth as with the North pipes). The North organ console consists of 12 water jets, whereas the south console consists of 45 water jets.
The organ is supplied with water from three Pentair pumps at a rate of 130 US gallons per minute (8.2 L/s), each by way of a three-inch (7.62 cm) diameter water line. Air is supplied from three Ingersol Rand four-cylinder air compressors, each equipped with a 25 horsepower (19 kW) motor. Since the instrument runs on both air and water, it may be regarded as a hybrid hydraulophone and pneumatophone, but because it is played by blocking water jets rather than air holes, it is principally a hydraulophone.
The fountain must be shut down and drained to avoid freezing damage during the cold season. On November 21, 2007, the aquatic play facility was temporarily switched from water operation to air operation, and the fountain became a wind instrument visitors could play using its air jets. The hydraulophone may not be operational during the winter months.
As of 2023[update], the hydraulophone is not operational due to algae buildup, leaks, and pump problems.
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Exhibitions
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The Science Centre has hosted many travelling exhibits since its opening. In 1982, the exhibition China: 7,000 Years of Discovery broke all known attendance records and attracted more than 1.5 million visitors.[43]
In 2003, the Strange Matter exhibition opened,[51] and the Body Worlds 2 exhibition attracted almost half a million visitors over five months when it came to the Centre in 2005.[43] The exhibition Facing Mars ran in 2008.[52] The Centre hosted Harry Potter: The Exhibition, a collection of props from the film series in 2010.[53] Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop (2011) featured physical models of da Vinci's inventions, built from drawings in his Codices. It also included interactive touch-screen digital reproductions of his Codices, the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.[54] Circus: The Exhibition ran in 2012.[55] Game On 2.0, a video game history exhibition, ran March 9 to September 2, 2013.[56]
In June 2014, the Centre welcomed The Science of Rock 'N' Roll, which explores how advances in science and technology have revolutionized music. The exhibition features eight areas that comprise different interactive components, historical artifacts, informational walls, documentary videos and more.[57] The exhibition was followed by In Knowledge We Trust (October 4 to December 7, 2014), which explored the role trust plays in making us willing to share or use the knowledge we receive.[58]
During summer 2015, the Centre hosted MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition, based on the popular television series MythBusters.[59] On June 4, 2016, the Centre hosted a one-day exhibit promoting the Nintendo 3DS game Kirby: Planet Robobot, which also featured activities pertaining to the Kirby video game series and a visit by a performer in a full Kirby costume.[60] In 2017, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canada, the Centre opened the exhibition Canada 150: Discovery Way, featuring Canadian stories behind transformational inventions and innovations.
Permanent galleries and exhibits
The science centre has several hundred interactive and passive permanent exhibits, featuring geology, the science of nature (in the west wing), astronomical science, how to play music and technology in the south wing, human anatomy, communication and bias, and some miscellaneous artifacts of science.
A Question of Truth
A Question of Truth is an exhibit that explores the methodologies, biases, and beliefs of scientific research setup in 2000. The exhibit provides visitors an opportunity to test controversial theories.[61]
AstraZeneca Human Edge
The AstraZeneca Human Edge replaced the original human anatomy gallery, opened in December 2013 with sponsorship from AstraZeneca. In addition to detailing anatomy, the exhibit aimed to explore the possibilities of the human body with activities to simulate the experiences of adventure-seekers, elite athletes, and extreme-sports enthusiasts. There are more than 80 exhibits in the hall, which were all developed and built by the Science Centre's staff with input from more than 120 neuroscience, physiology, bio-mechanics and sports medicine experts.[62] The exhibit also features a climbing wall.[61]
Cohon Family Nature Escape
The Cohon Family Nature Escape is an outdoor exhibit, situated within the Don River valley to the rear of the science centre. The exhibit features a giant Baltimore oriole nest, a concrete wall canvas for moss graffiti, and a playground slide made from a fallen 125-year-old eastern white pine.[61]
Forest Lane
Forest Lane houses many trees and tree trunks from across Canada. The exhibit includes a 464-year-old Douglas fir, with markings on its growth rings denoting notable world events during the tree's lifetime.[61]
KidSpark
KidSpark is a designated space for children eight and under to explore and learn through play. The exhibition was opened in 2003.[63] The exhibition also has a rolling ball machine built by George Rhoads, and a music studio.[61]
Living Earth
The Living Earth hosts simulated environments around the world, including rainforests, coral reefs, and caves, including live animals. It was opened in 1993.
Science Arcade
The Science Arcade is amongst the oldest exhibits at the science centre, having been a permanent fixture in the building since its opening in 1969. The Science Arcade houses many "arcade-styled" games.[61]
Space Hall and the Planetarium
The Space Hall was refurbished in the late 2000s and features meteorites from Mars and one of the few Moon rocks on public display in Canada. The Ontario Science Centre also holds Toronto's only operating public planetarium since McLaughlin Planetarium was closed in 1995.
Weston Family Innovation Centre
The Weston Family Innovation Centre is an exhibit designed to encourage experimentation, and features exhibits that allow visitors to prototype a new type of shoe, and to test their aviation abilities.[61] The Weston Family Innovation Centre houses Pipe Dreams by Bruce Shapiro, a bubble art installation.[64]
Gallery
Rock Paper Science Hall (Level 6)
The Living Earth (Level 6)
A raccoon at the Cohon Family Nature Escape. The outdoor exhibit is located behind the science centre, within the Don Valley.
Shergottite, a Martian meteorite
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Science School
The Ontario Science Centre Science School (OSCSS) offers grade 12 University Preparation courses in STEM subjects: physics, biology, chemistry, calculus, and advanced functions. All students also complete an interdisciplinary studies credit in science communication while enrolled with the OSCSS. The credits are issued by either the Toronto District School Board or the Toronto Catholic District School Board, which also fund the program to be available at no cost to students from anywhere in Ontario. While at the Science Centre, students earn practicum hours through volunteering and interacting with visitors.[65]
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Governance
As a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Science Centre is overseen by trustees appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, who selects between 16 and 26 trustees, designating one as chair and another as vice-chair.[66][67] Meetings are held four times a year, and trustees serve for a term not exceeding three years but may be reappointed for one or more terms.
Affiliations
The Ontario Science Centre is affiliated with the Canadian Museums Association (CMA), Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), and Virtual Museum of Canada. The Ontario Science Centre is a member of the international Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC).[citation needed]
Cultural references
Ontario Science Centre was used by David Cronenberg as a location for his 1970 film Crimes of the Future.[68]
Media
The Ontario Science Centre was featured on the Rick Mercer Report in 2016.[69] In his CBC news satire program—Rick Mercer visited numerous scientists' exhibits, took part in a wildlife conservation show, and partook in a psychological fear study during a workshop there.
The Grand Hall of the centre was used as an airport terminal in episode 5 of the miniseries Station Eleven.[70]The creative team of the series expressed their desire for the building to be saved in the aftermath of its closure.[71]
The controversy surrounding the closure and politics behind it would be portrayed in a May 2025 episode of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, with mention of the closure of a science centre called "The Toronto Centre of Science."[72]
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See also
References
External links
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