inSome time ago I was in Ontario visiting my friend Jo at Miss Monneypenny’s retreat in Espanola. On the last day of my visit we stopped in at Science North in Sudbury – northern Ontario’s most popular tourist attraction for a 1.5 hour visit followed by a most interesting lunch at the onsite restaurant.
Science North in Sudbury, opened in 1984, is made up of two buildings in the shape of snowflakes. The larger building sits on top of outcrop and is linked via an underground rock tunnel to the smaller building that houses the restaurant, cafeteria and administration offices.
I loved the design! It really speaks to the area especially since Sudbury is famous for its mines.
Compelling exhibits at Science North
As an adult with fully grown children a visit to a science center isn’t the first thing that pops to mind as something to do.
But I give full marks to the brains behind Science North. Exhibits are compelling and hands on for all ages.
The Blue Coats – a term given to the enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff and volunteers – are to be found wherever there’s an exhibit. Watch out. These people know how to engage you – whether you’re a kid or an adult.
Loads of exhibits and galleries to choose from at Science North in Sudbury
Jo and I knew we only had 90 minutes and wanted to cover as much of Science North as we could. There wouldn’t be time to visit the Planetarium or the IMAX Theatre.
But there was time to wander among the hundreds of butterflies at the F. Jean MacLeod Butterfly Gallery and to visit the Nature Exchange where we got up close and personal with a Malaysian leaf insect. If you were a kid this is where you’d come to swap and trade seashells, rocks and other specimens. (I would have loved this place!!)
We did make it to the third floor where we were able to get close to some of the wildlife found in the north including a beaver, skunk and porcupine.
The Body Zone got a quick pass too as did the cyber zone where we spent a few minutes chuckling away as we read from the teleprompter.
It was worth a visit to Science North in Sudbury just to see the wildfire show
We finished with an excellent show – Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure in 4D. While it’s not playing now I do encourage you to check out the website ahead of time to see what programming is in effect as it is constantly changing.
It’s quite the experience. Seats move, 3D film techniques make you feel like you’re flying right into the fire and the wind and smoke add to the illusion that you’re right there in the thick of things. It’s highly educational and paints a very different picture that what you see on the nightly news.
You can eat at Science North in Sudbury
At the end of our tour we headed for one of Sudbury’s best restaurants at the time – Curious Thymes. Now it’s been replaced by The Patio as of June 2019.
I did mention that when I visited I had a most interesting lunch – but it had nothing to do with the food or the view.
Instead I couldn’t take my eyes off the fellow you see in red in the photograph below – aka the sword swallower who will be part of a special exhibition – The Science of Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
I heard snippets of the conversation with words like membrane and swallow but what really got my attention was when he starting moving the spoon up his nose. I apologized to Jo profusely for not giving her my undivided attention but when was the last time you saw a spoon go up a nose in a restaurant?
A terrific spot for families but you don’t need kids to enjoy it
Overall the visit to Science North in Sudbury surprised and delighted. It’s obviously a terrific place for families with kids but don’t let a lack of kids stop you from going. It’s fun and educational and I’m sorry I didn’t have enough time to see everything.
For further information on Science North visit their website.
Further reading on things to do in northern Ontario
- 7 Things to do on Manitoulin Island in Summer
- Kayaking Georgian Bay Over a Long Weekend
- The Hike to Agawa Falls in Northern Ontario
- Hiking the Nokomis Trail, Lake Superior Provincial Park
- Mississagi Provincial Park – A Northern Ontario Gem