The Science World ‘golf ball’ shape is a standout among Vancouver’s buildings. It is always easy to spot, shiny and round at the eastern end of False Creek. Science World Vancouver was originally built for Expo ’86. Though it is sometimes referred to as the ‘golf ball’, Science World is actually a geodesic dome, patented by inventor R. Buckminster Fuller. The architect who originally designed Science World for Expo was Bruno Freschi, later being transformed to what it is today by Boak Alexander.
Science World is one of the most educational Vancouver tourist attractions for people of all ages and interests. Kids can try out hands-on experiments, walk through a 1,700 sq. foot maze, create music, see how cyclones are created, and much more. The world of science becomes very real and tangible with every fun and interesting exhibition.
Science World Vancouver has five permanent galleries with hundreds of interactive exhibits. The five galleries include: the Eureka! Gallery, the Sara Stern Search Gallery, the Kidspace Gallery, the Our World Gallery and Illusions. The Eureka! Gallery explains the science of water, light, sound, and motion is colorful display. The Sara Stern Search Gallery is for nature lovers who get to explore artifacts, minerals, insects and the human body. The Kidspace Gallery is designed for children under six. Kidspace opens up the world of science to young ones who get to do their own discovering with interactive exhibits. Our World Gallery allows participants to think about world issues and how their choices have an impact on the earth. The Illusions gallery plays with your mind with a number of fascinating optical illusions.
Another reason to visit the Science World is one of the popular Vancouver tourist attractions is because of the famous OMNIMAX Theatre, one of the largest theatres in the world. This theatre seats 400 people and has a curving screen 27 metres in diameter. Science World Vancouver shows educational and entertaining movies in this amazing theater, a great class trip or family outing.
In 2005 Science World made a $9 million dollar deal with TELUS phone company, officially changing the name to TELUS World of Science. The new Telus Science World in Vancouver is one of three science centers owned by Telus. The other two are in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta. The TELUS World of Science is still widely known by its former name and thankfully changes seem to only be nominal.
