Museums · South West England
Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre
In or near Bristol.
The Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre was a science museum in Bristol, England. The project was conceived in 1981 by Richard Gregory, professor of neuropsychology at Bristol University, and was the
David Hallam-Jones — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Bristol Temple Meads · 0.2 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit the Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre, the nearest railway station is Bristol Temple Meads, located just 0.2 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is BS1 6QH. Entry has limited accessibility for wheelchair users.
About
The Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre was a science museum in Bristol, England. The project was conceived in 1981 by Richard Gregory, professor of neuropsychology at Bristol University, and was the first hands-on science museum in the United Kingdom. It was inspired by the creation of the Exploratorium in San Francisco which had opened some years earlier and which appointed him Osher Visiting Fellow in 1989. Gregory said: "As I see it 'hands-on science' is to stimulate interest in science and technology by presenting phenomena and experiments to show how things work at first hand."
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Severn Estuary SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre was a science museum in Bristol, England. The project was conceived in 1981 by Richard Gregory, professor of neuropsychology at Bristol University, and was the first hands-on science museum in the United Kingdom. It was inspired by the creation of the Exploratorium in San Francisco which had opened some years earlier and which appointed him Osher Visiting Fellow in 1989. Gregory said: "As I see it 'hands-on science' is to stimulate interest in science and technology by presenting phenomena and experiments to show how things work at first hand."
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Initial funding for the idea came from the Nuffield Foundation and David Sainsbury's Gatsby Charitable Foundation. From 1987 to 1989 the interactive science exhibits were temporarily housed in the city's Victoria Rooms. In 1989 they moved to permanent installation at Bristol Temple Meads railway station. There, the expanded exhibition occupied two floors of the original terminal shed designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The exhibits became known as 'plores' from the word 'explore', and the team of helpers in red sweatshirts were called 'pilots'. It was open seven days a week to the public and provided education programmes for school parties. Its footfall increased to more than 200,000…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.4489, -2.5835
- District
- Bristol, City of
- Parish
- Bristol, City of, unparished area
- Postcode
- BS1 6QH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bristol East
- Established
- 1987
- Annual visitors
- ~200,000/year
- Nearest railway station
- Bristol Temple Meads — 0.2 km
Sources
- wikipedia: Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre?
- Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode BS1 6QH), in the parish of Bristol, City of, unparished area.
- What is Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre?
- The Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre was a science museum in Bristol, England. The project was conceived in 1981 by Richard Gregory, professor of neuropsychology at Bristol University, and was the
- How do I get to Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre?
- The nearest railway station is Bristol Temple Meads, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode BS1 6QH.
- When was Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre built?
- Built or established in 1987.
- Is Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre a protected site?
- Yes — Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre is part of the Severn Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- How do I get to Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre?
- The nearest railway station is Bristol Temple Meads, about 0.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BS1 6QH.
- How busy is Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre?
- Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre draws around 200,000 visitors a year.