The Connecticut Science Center is a fairly new addition to Hartford’s cultural scene. Have fun learning about science from over 150 interactive exhibits, an eye-popping 3-D movie theater and frequent special events.
If you have ever wanted to hear light or feel sound, visit Sight and Sound. Create music using lasers, cutting-edge software and your own body movements. Discover the universe and beyond in Exploring Space. Buckle into your flight chair and navigate a black hole, explore a supernova and investigate the moon’s craters.
Add a little friendly competition to your day at Forces in Motion. In this exhibit you will design a motion-related invention and test it against other visitors’ creations. See how gravity works in the Drop Zone, where objects fall in slow motion.
Kidspace is appealing for the science center’s youngest visitors. Between playing with the magnetic ball wall and the cascading water center, children won’t even realize that they’re learning important scientific concepts.
Other exhibits explore subjects from sports to the environment to medicine. Learn how to use scientific knowledge to take better care of your body. Explore the ecosystem of the Connecticut River. Devise your own invention and show it off.
Watching a movie takes on a whole new dimension in the 3-D movie theater. Settle back and enjoy one of the 45-minute films. Several different movies are shown throughout the day.
The science center also hosts temporary shows in the Traveling Exhibit Gallery. Just like the permanent attractions, these are sure to grab your attention. Grossology, a recent temporary exhibit, explored how the body’s grosser functions are actually vital processes to keep you healthy.
If you get hungry, have lunch at the sandwich shop on the first floor or bring your own picnic to eat at one of the tables.
The Connecticut Science Center is open every day except Mondays and major holidays. Buy a general admission ticket or a combo that also allows you to see one movie in the theater. There is ample parking nearby. The city’s free Star Shuttle stops here.
