Ontario Science Centre

A mixed bag.
I’ll start off by explaining that I haven’t been to the Science Center in well over a decade. But when I was a kid I would come all the time and would attend summer camps and would have some amazing experiences. But SO much has changed.

Start off by the bridge being closed for no posted reason which is really a shame because that entrance really immerses you in nature and starts your journey off right at the Science Center. Instead, you wait in line for a shuttle to take you down the hill to the rear entrance. (Is walkable, but we went in Mid November with a 4 year old and a 7 week old).

Walked in the rear entrance and the place seems empty. Lots of empty spaces and missing exhibits. The areas seemed unorganized except for the original Space and Living Earth exhibits. The way the exhibits were laid out really had so rhyme or reason and it was a really odd layout.

The food in the cafeteria is WAY overpriced. Bring your own food!

Now for the positives.
The exhibits themselves are great! Amazing information for all ages and lots to explore and get your hands on. My 4 year old loved the rainforest and the interactive Dino exhibit. And loves playing with other kids at the interactive floor in the lower level main hall.

I will say the content of this centre is very extensive and can really be enjoyable and informative to folks of all ages. However, having parts of the centre closed was not what I was expecting such as the outdoor area which was odd to me since a lot of people didn’t have issues walking outside to get to the rear entrance instead of taking the shuttle due to long lines, and having the space planetarium closed without an explanation posted was very disappointing since I was looking forward to it. The OMNIMAX movie experience is very neat and a cool experience for seeing a movie on such a big screen. There are also a lot of interactive exhibits which help you appreciate the science behind it. One last thing, I understand that this is place is mainly for kids, but parents please look after your kids, I have seen so many without supervision and causing a disturbance which made it hard to enjoy certain attractions and can really make the time there enjoyable with so much screaming. Overall, not a bad place to go for the first time.

Fun place, especially if you have a young child who needs stimulation- as a dad I had fun too engaging with my son. There were alot of things and they can find 1 thing they enjoy and stick with it for hours. Although the weekends can get busy with all kids running around, will feel like a daycare with no parental supervision. Other than that it is advisable to go on a weekday if possible.