Museums · Scottish Lowlands
The Big Idea
In or near Crosshouse.
The Big Idea — former museum in Ardeer, Scotland.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Irvine · 1.2 km
- Family-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit The Big Idea, you can take the train to Irvine station, which is 1.2 km away. The postcode is KA12 8FB for sat-nav users. The museum is wheelchair accessible, and entry details are not specified.
About
The Big Idea is a museum in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 2000. Wikidata describes it as: "former museum in Ardeer, Scotland". Coordinates: 55.6089°, -4.6942°.
Photo gallery
From the Wikipedia article
The Big Idea was a science centre located in the town of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Located on the former Nobel Explosives manufacturing site on the Ardeer Peninsula, a new science and learning centre was planned in 2000 by the Millennium Commission, to celebrate the history of invention and inventors. An estimated £14 million was spent for the construction of the exhibition. After only three years of operation, the museum permanently closed in 2003 after a major decline in visitor numbers. As of 2024, no plans have been made for the former museum's redevelopment and it continues to lie abandoned on the peninsula.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
As an idea for the new millennium, a museum site was proposed to celebrate inventors and inventions from Scotland and all over the world. The project was created with the help of £5.5M from the Millennium Commission, £5M of European funding, £500,000 from Scottish Enterprise and £3M of private money. Scottish inventors featured included John Napier, William Murdock, Alexander Fleming and John Logie Baird. The museum featured a wide range of facilities for the public. The main museum consisted of five "focal points". These were Power, Control, Materials, Communication and Mechanisms. The building also contained a sizeable theatre named after Alfred Nobel. There is a time capsule buried below…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 55.6089, -4.6942
- District
- North Ayrshire
- Postcode
- KA12 8FB
- Parliamentary constituency
- Central Ayrshire
- Established
- 2000
- Annual visitors
- ~50,000/year
- Nearest railway station
- Irvine — 1.2 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q7717677 (CC0)
- wikipedia: The Big Idea (museum) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: TheBigIdeaIrvine.jpeg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Big Idea
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Irvine Harbour
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Carters Memorial Statue
Memorials & monuments · 0.6 km
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Linthouse Building
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Statue of Lord Justice General Boyd
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Where to eat & stay near The Big Idea
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Places to eat & drink
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is The Big Idea?
- The Big Idea is in the Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (postcode KA12 8FB).
- What is The Big Idea?
- The Big Idea — former museum in Ardeer, Scotland.
- How do I get to The Big Idea?
- The nearest railway station is Irvine, about 1.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode KA12 8FB.
- When was The Big Idea built?
- Built or established in 2000.
- Who owns The Big Idea?
- The Big Idea is owned by | publictransit =.
- How do I get to The Big Idea?
- The nearest railway station is Irvine, about 1.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode KA12 8FB.
- How busy is The Big Idea?
- The Big Idea draws around 50,000 visitors a year.