Museums are great way for children to feed their thirst for knowledge and real-life learning adventures. And there’s no greater joy for science enthusiasts to explore the realm of science than to actually experience the wonders of interactive, hands-on, and dynamic science museums. And if you are in Japan, one recommended science museum you can visit is Osaka Science Museum.
OSAKA SCIENCE MUSEUM
Right in the heart of Nakanoshima Island lies the Osaka Science Museum. It houses interactive displays and exhibits that depicts various science concepts. Some of these concepts are universe, chemistry, electricity, energy, and more. The Osaka City Electricity Science Museum helped developed this museum in 1937. Eventually, in October 1989, the Osaka Science Museum opened to the public. This museum originally has the “Space and Energy” as its main theme. Thus, it explains why most of the exhibits and display inside mostly spans around these concepts.
But there are just some things utterly unique about this science museum. Aside from four floors of themed exhibits, there is a separate planetarium with multiple daily shows and an Imax dome theater. The theater is called “Omnimax” and it has a rotating selection of Imax films. The said films are usually aired on weekends only and on some national holidays.
The Exhibits
Each floor houses a differently-themed exhibits that you can visit after buying tickets at the basement level.
1st Floor Theme – Electricity and Energy. The first floor of the museum houses different displays. Overall, these exhibits help explain the concept of electricity and energy. There is also a section that shows practical application of various electronic equipment. In addition to that, there is also a pedal power section. In this section, you can generate your own power of electricity by striking the pedal faster.
2nd Floor Theme – General Science. This floor is perfect for young kids who will enjoy a variety of basic interactive exhibits. You can see common demonstrations of basic science concepts. This floor focuses on the concepts about light, sound, motion, and even momentum. Some of the most popular exhibits here are the transparent piano, magic mirror, dancing balloons, echo tubes, and a lot more to explore.
3rd Floor Theme – Chemistry. This is obviously all about Chemistry. In this part of the museum, you can discover a lot about different materials in the world. You can learn about the different minerals, about plastic, fibers, and even medicines. Probably the best part here is the fragrance section where you can smell various materials.
4th Floor Theme – Universe. This This floor introduces basic scientific principles, the history of science, and has astronomical displays of the stars and planets.
The Planetarium
A high-performance projector in the museum’s newly-refurbished planetarium projects approximately 28,000 stars. Moreover, it is considered as one of the world’s largest dome screens (with a diameter of 26.5 meters). The OMNIMAX panoramic screen system is the world’s largest image system. And with the sense of presence, the images, and sound produced is beyond compare.
Final thoughts:
There are just too many ways visiting a science museum is beneficial for your child, and for yourself. It won’t only spark creativity for the kids but it will also help them develop new ideas. It also encourages them to ask questions and further enhance their communication. Additionally, it is a worthwhile activity that fosters family bonding.