Science North
Science North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
Science Nord | |
The Science North main building | |
| Established | 19 June 1984 |
|---|---|
| Location | 100 Ramsey Lake Road Sudbury, Ontario P3E 5S9 |
| Coordinates | 46.4706°N 80.9963°W |
| Type | Science centre |
| Director | Ashley Larose, CEO |
| Architect | Moriyama & Teshima |
| Owner | Government of Ontario |
| Website | www |
The science centre, which is Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Ramsey Lake, just south of the downtown core, and a former ice hockey arena which includes the complex's entrance and an IMAX theatre. The snowflake buildings are connected by a rock tunnel, which passes through a billion-year-old geologic fault. This fault line was not known to be under the complex when the site was originally selected, and was discovered only during the construction of the building in the early 1980s. Where the walkway reaches the larger snowflake, the Vale Cavern auditorium is frequently used for temporary exhibits, press conferences, and other gala events by Science North and the wider community.
Inside the main building, a 20-metre fin whale skeleton, recovered from Anticosti Island, hangs from the ceiling.
The complex also features a boat tour, the William Ramsey, which offers touring cruises of the scenic Ramsey Lake. The Jim Gordon Boardwalk also extends from the facility to the city's Bell Park along the western shore of the lake.
The facility was designed by architect Raymond Moriyama, one of the founding partners of Moriyama & Teshima Architects, based in Toronto.
An agency of the provincial government of Ontario, Science North is overseen by the provincial Ministry of Culture.