Manitoba Museum Science Gallery

Hands-on gallery explores science and technology in fun way

The Science Gallery, one of three parts of the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a hands-on space in which to explore the laws of science and the wonders of technology.

I first visited this gallery decades ago with my daughter and step-daughters when they were little and the gallery was called “Touch the Universe.” My latest visit was this summer with my five-year-old granddaughter. I recognized some exhibits from years ago. Others had been replaced with newer ones.

Laser harp on display in a science museum — *Laser harp*

The Science Gallery is not huge. There are larger science museums in Canada (such as Vancouver’s Science World, for example), but it does have a variety of exhibits to explore. Most of the exhibits are interactive. My granddaughter found plenty to grab her attention. Older children might interact with the same exhibits in a different way and learn more of the science behind them.

Curves wall panel in science museum provides information about Lake Winnipeg watershed

A few exhibits, such as the one about the Lake Winnipeg watershed and ecosystem, are better understood by older children.

Floating beach ball exhibit in a science museum

What keeps the Floating Beachball floating in mid-air without blowing away or falling downward? Bernoulli’s Principle describes the forces created when air moves around curved surfaces.

Backlit LiteZilla wall installation with different coloured rods to form patterns

A backlit LiteZilla installation and cylindrical pins in various colours allow visitors to create their own designs and patterns.

Orange and blue toy car race track uses gravity to propel toy cars — *Demonstrating gravity principles with little race cars*

A larger racing exhibit area, to which only a few people were granted access at one time under the guidance of museum staff, allows you to engineer your own race car and find out how much science and engineering go into it. Although my granddaughter loved the gravity track, she was not at all interested in this area. I think she was a bit too young for it.

Magnetic wall in science museum to arrange tubes of various shapes and sizes and drop balls through

The Magnetic Ball Wall did capture her attention for quite some time, as she arranged and rearranged the pieces to create a track for the balls to cascade down and through.

Area for building with LEGO in a science museum — *LEGO area*

The Matrix Mirror Room is one of the long-standing exhibits. Mirrors, angles, lights, and reflections create a world of illusions. I have to admit this room actually freaks me out. I cannot be in it for longer than a moment or two. Even though I know it is an illusion, I feel like I might fell over an edge.

The Pulley Chair is a hit with all ages (adults included). There are three chairs with different levels of difficulty. My granddaughter was initially not interested in these, but later when she sat in one and found she could pull herself up, she didn’t want to leave.

There are more exhibits, including more optical illusions and an animation station. My granddaughter and I spent some time playing the giant Connect 4 game.

The other two parts to the Manitoba Museum are the Museum Galleries and the Planetarium. The Museum Galleries “tell the human and natural history of Manitoba from north to south, from ancient to contemporary times.” They are well worth visiting and I have written about the galleries in this post. The Planetarium is a full-dome theatre offering a range of shows and presentations that explore space.

I would allow one to two hours for a visit to the Science Gallery, depending on the age and attention span of your children.

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