Orlando Science Center
Encyclopedia
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. Its purposes are to provide experience-based opportunities for learning about science and technology and to promote public understanding of science.
The Orlando Science Center is accredited by the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
(AAM) and is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Association of Science-Technology Centers
The Association of Science-Technology Centers is an international organization of science centers and science museums. Members are located in more than 40 countries...
(ASTC). The Orlando Science Center is member supported and sponsored in part by United Arts of Central Florida, Inc., the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council.
Hours
The Orlando Science Center is open year round, and closed on Wednesdays throughout the school year, except on Orange County Public SchoolsOrange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based out of the Educational Leadership Center, a seven-story building adjacent to the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando. As of October 2009, OCPS has an enrollment of over 175,000 students, making it the...
holidays. Additionally, the Orlando Science Center is open on most holidays except for Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, and Christmas Day.
Thursday - Tuesday: 10am - 5pm. Closed on Wednesdays for exhibit updates and maintenance.
The Crosby Observatory is open to the public on the first and third Saturday of each month from 5-9pm, weather permitting. Exhibit halls are closed during this time.
History
Incorporated in 1955, the Central Florida Museum (CFM) opened in Orlando Loch Haven Park in 1960. For its first decade, it was an anthropology museum with collections of artifacts relating to FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and the Caribbean Basin
Caribbean Basin
The Caribbean Basin is generally defined as the area running from Florida westward along the Gulf coast, then south along the Mexican coast through Central America and then eastward across the northern coast of South America. This region includes the islands of the archipelago of the West Indies...
.
In the early 1970s, the CFM's board of directors voted to change directions and to become a "hands-on" science and technology center. In 1973 the institution was re-named to honor a famous native son and astronaut, John Young.
In 1984, as part of an expansion and change of philosophy, the institution's name was changed to Orlando Science Center. In 1985 another major expansion created a permanent physical sciences hall, a traveling exhibit hall, and Curiosity Corner, a hands-on exhibit area dedicated to pre-school and early primary age children. During the final expansion to the original facility in 1990, NatureWorks, a prototype for OSC's centerpiece natural science exhibit was created.
In May 1992, the Board and staff developed a comprehensive master plan for the Orlando Science Center, including a blueprint for construction of an entirely new science center. Construction of the new science center began in early 1995.
The new 207000 sq ft (19,230.9 m²). Orlando Science Center celebrated its grand opening on February 1, 1997. It is six times larger than the original facility, which closed December 31, 1996. The current president and CEO of the science center is JoAnn Newman.
Current exhibits
As of November 18, 2010, here is a list of the current exhibits within the Orlando Science Center (In order from 1st floor).Dr. Phillips CineDome - Showcasing giant screen films, planetarium shows, and laser light shows. The CineDome is an 8-story tall domed theater structure where films are projected on a screen before an audience in steep stadium seating.
NatureWorks 1st Floor - Exhibit hall that describes the richness of the natural world, with a focus on the diverse ecosystems of Central Florida.Such as, plants and animals of coral reefs, salt marshes, mangrove swamps and other Florida environments. You can learn how living and non-living things interact with each other and their environment.
KidsTown 1st Floor - Miniature town that introduces science concepts through whole-body experiences, hands-on interactives and imaginative role-playing. Water tables, automotive garage, orange juice processing plant and more.
Science Park 2nd Floor - Provides exhibits that focus on light, sound and waves, electricity and magnetism, nature’s forces and simulation.
GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World 2nd Floor - An entertaining, engaging, and hands-on experience with one of the most important cultural icons in history: the guitar. The Exhibition has three elements: the evolution of the instrument, its cultural impact, and the science of sound. The Exhibition will engage a wide spectrum of visitors in an experience that is visual, tactile, and aural.
Harry's Big Adventure: My Bug World! 2nd Floor - A multi sensory experience that immerses visitors in the world of bugs and combines high technology with creepy crawly fun. Featuring live bugs, video, audio, games, and more, the exhibit is designed to give spectators an up-close view of nature and a new perspective of the role insects play in our environment.
All Aboard 2nd Floor - Kids can learn about traveling through child-sized models of trains, planes and the space shuttle.
Careers for Life (3rd Floor Exhibit Hall) - The Careers for Life exhibit showcases the types of careers that save and help the lives of others. Its main purpose is to create awareness, inform and educate anyone about healthcare careers.
DinoDigs 4th Floor - Showcases the dinosaurs in their disparate land and aquatic settings.
Our Planet, Our Universe 4th Floor - A permanent exhibit on astronomy and earth science. Divided into sections: Earth, Wind & sky, Planets and Portals and Gravity, waves and warps.
Crosby Observatory 6th Floor - Florida's largest public refractor telescope as well as an array of smaller yet still powerful telescopes strategically placed for star gazing. The Crosby Observatory is open from 3-5pm for SunWatch on the first Saturday of each month, weather permitting, and from 5-9 on the first and third Saturday of the month, weather permitting (exhibit halls are closed during this time).
Facility rentals
The Orlando Science Center offers its facility to host meetings, special engagements, and weddings. The venue offers 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) of exhibits, a private theater, and IWerks movies.External links
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