New Connecticut Center Proves Science Can Be Fun

Kids Play Geology, Astronomy and Physics Games at Hartford Museum

Jul 20, 2009 Carroll Trosclair

$165 Million Connecticut Science Center hopes to inspire future scientists and creative thinkers with 144,00 square feet of imaginative and interactive exhibits.

City officials in Hartford, Connecticut expect their new science center to serve as the centerpiece of a downtown renaissance, although critics have complained about the cost, location and design of the facility. The CSC opened in June 2009 after years of delays, controversies and rising costs.

The center, however, is now a delight for children who get to play and experiment with its scores of interactive science exhibits. For instance, they can:

• Visit a black hole in the sky
• Race cars, sailboats or magnetically-powered trains
• Forecast the weather
• Get closeup views of the craters on the moon
• Program robots
• Bill a dam with gooey stuff
• Strap into a flight chair and experience the first Mars flyover
• Examine how a turbine works

The center has a total of 150 exhibits, most of them interactive.

Environmental and 3D Movies

They can also watch a fun movie, narrated by a sheep, about protecting the environment. Or perhaps they can put on 3D glasses and watch a movie about monitoring the growth and explosion of dangerous black spots on the sun.

The CT science center maintains a staff of what it calls "Gallery Scientists," five young people who specialize in various areas of biology, astronomy, animal behavior, chemistry and physics. Kids are encouraged to overwhelm them with questions.

Impressive Connecticut River View

The Center’s multi-storied glass exterior provides an impressive view of the Connecticut River and downtown Hartford.

The center has six floors plus a garage level where a community room and labs (for scheduled groups and special events) are located. Here’s how the rest of the building is structured:

• First floor: Includes a theater, a children’s gallery for kids 3-to-7 years old and a cafe which offers breakfast, lunch and snacks.
• Second and third floors: Offices
• Fourth floor: Includes the traveling exhibit gallery, "Forces in Motion" and the"Sight and Sound Experience" exhibits.
• Fifth floor: Rooms devoted to exploring space, the sports lab, "Picture of Health" and "Invention Dimension."
• Sixth floor: Includes areas devoted to "Smart Energy," "Planet Earth" and "A River of Life," as well as a seasonally-operated outside roof garden.

The CSC operates seven days a week in July and August, closing Mondays the rest of the year. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admissions allowed until 4 p.m.

Prices: General Admission and Combo tickets including movie:: Adults $16 & $19; Seniors $14.50 & $17.50; Youth (3-through 17) $13 & $16.

Hartford Business Who's Who

These 11 "founding supporters," representing a Hartford who's who in business, sponsor the primary exhibits:

1. The Aetna Foundation
2. Chase Family Foundations
3. Connecticut Clean Energy Fund
4. FM Facility Maintenance
5. Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation
6. Northeast Utilities Foundation
7. Pfizer Foundation
8. Pitney Bowes Foundation
9. Saint Francis Hospital
10. United Technologies Corporation
11. The Hartford Financial Services Group.

A staff of young people mixes with the kids and supervises the exhibits, giving kids lots of freedom. Unfortunately, a few intractive exhibits and games were not functioning properly just a month after the center opened. The facility currently requires children under 18 to be accompanied by an adult, a policy that has already drawn some criticism, but the center appears to face high maintenance costs unless kids are better supervised.

Reference: Connecticut Science Center Visitor Guide, 2009

The copyright of the article New Connecticut Center Proves Science Can Be Fun in NE U.S. Travel is owned by Carroll Trosclair. Permission to republish New Connecticut Center Proves Science Can Be Fun in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

CSC magnetically powered train

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