St. Louis Science Center

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The James S. McDonnell Planetarium, thin-shell and hyperboloid structure by Gyo Obata, one component of the St. Louis Science Center campus

The St. Louis Science Center is a science museum with its facilities in St. Louis, Missouri and a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. It is among the largest of its type and, like all science centers, is intended to be a place of informal science education for all ages.

The Science Center campus is made up of three buildings. The James S. McDonnell Planetarium, found in Forest Park, a newer building (often called the main building) across Interstate 64 (Highway 40) at 5050 Oakland Avenue, and the Exploradome, an air-supported building next to the main building.

1 History
2 Admission and exhibits
3 Public Programs
4 External links

[edit] History

The St. Louis Science Center was originally founded by an organization called the Academy of Science of St. Louis as the Museum of Science and Natural History in 1959 at a facility in Clatyon's Oak Knoll Park.

In 1983, the museum chose to expand its facilities to the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, then owned by the City. After over a year of remodeling, on July 20, 1985, the planetarium reopened as the St. Louis Science Center.

[edit] McDonnell Planetarium

The James S. McDonnell Planetarium was named after James Smith McDonnell, an aviation pioneer and co-founder of St. Louis-based McDonnell Douglas aerospace manufacturer. The planetarium was designed by Gyo Obata of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum and first opened in 1963. In the 1980s and 1990s, the planetarium housed a Digistar 1 digital star projector, made by Evans & Sutherland. In 2000, the planetarium closed for renovations, and reopened on June 22, 2001 fitted with the world's fourth Zeiss Universarium Mark IX star projector.

Besides the star projector, the McDonnell Planetarium now contains the StarPort, designed to approximate what a space station might look like in the near future. This section is mainly dedicated to outer space and astronomy-related programs and exhibits.

[edit] The Main Building

Planetarium overpass

As part of a $34 million expansion, a new building opened across from the planetarium south of highway 40/64 on November 2, 1991. The building, designed by E. Verner Johnson and Associates, includes the Omnimax, now called IMAX Dome, theater. A pedestrian overpass connects the two buildings and offers scientific insight into bridges, highways, and radar guns.

[edit] The Exploradome

On February 8, 1997, the Exploradome was added primarily for traveling exhibitions and hosting large group events.

[edit] Admission and exhibits

Energizer Ball Machine

Like its fellow museums in Forest Park, the Science Center offers free admission, a distinction held by only two science museums in the country. There is a charge for parking at the main building, but parking at the Forest Park lot at the McDonnell Planetarium is free. There are fees for special exhibits, such as Lego Mindstorms in Cyberville, Omnimax, Discovery Room, the McDonnell Planetarium shows, and special exhibits and exhibitions. The Science Center is open every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The main building consists of four levels. The Earth Science (Ecology and Environment) gallery is located on the lower level along with meeting rooms, CenterStage (shows and a daily "Science goes Splat" gravity drop.), birthday party rooms, and May Hall, used as a banquet room and for special exhibits and talks. The first floor contains the Life Science areas, more Ecology and Environment, Amazing Science Demonstration Lab, the main entrance, ExploreStore gift shop, food court, Energizer human hamster wheel, and Exploradome entrance. Computer gallery (Cyberville), Structures gallery, Discovery room for young children and their parents, the bridge and tunnel/connection to the planetarium, and Omnimax Movie Theater are on the second Floor. Wheelchair Omnimax access, Omnimax exit, and offices are located on the third. All three floors contain the Energizer Ball Machine which is also three stories high.

[edit] Public Programs

Segway Classes
Segway Forest Park Tours (seasonal, May-Oct)
Camp-Ins
Amazing Science Demonstrations
LEGO Mindstorm Robots
Imax movies in the Omnimax Theater
Planetarium presentations on astronomy
Free Public Telescope Viewing Sessions (2nd Fridays of the month, except November & December)