SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Orlando Science Center Offers Out-of-This World Experiences For All Ages

By  //  August 13, 2017

SPACE COAST DAILY ROAD TRIP

ABOVE VIDEO: Space Coast Daily’s Steve Wilson talks with Orlando Science Center’s Vice President for Visitor Experience Brandan Lanman. This first-rate attraction is just over an hour drive from Central Brevard County and located at 777 E. Princeton Street, north of Florida State Road 50.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA — Space Coast Daily took a recent trek to Central Florida and paid a visit to the Orlando Science Center on Princeton Street. 

This first-rate attraction is just over an hour drive from Central Brevard County and located at 777 E. Princeton Street, north of State Road 50.

A conveniently located parking garage directly across from the Science Center boasts a covered bridge that allows patrons to visit the Science Center without having to worry about exposure to inclement weather.

In fact, when entering the Science Center from this locale, visitors are greeted by a myriad of elegant origami hearts, which are suspended from the walkway’s ceiling and span all seven colors of the rainbow.

This walkway is known as the “Love Bridge,” and the hearts were made by the community on One Orlando Night and are an adoring tribute to the 49 victims of the PULSE Nightclub tragedy.

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With the impending solar eclipse set to occur on Monday, Aug. 21, the timing for Space Coast Daily to visit the Orlando Science Center could not have been more perfect.

The excitement of the staff was contagious, as it should be. This will be the first total solar eclipse viewable from the continental United States in 99 years, and Florida will not see another total solar eclipse until the year 2045.

To get the rundown on all of the activities planned for “Eclipse Day 2017”, we interviewed Vice President of Visitor Experience Brandan Lanman.

ABOVE VIDEO: Brandan Lanman says the New KidsTown, with over 11,000 square feet of science and fun, has been an “awesome experince for everyone.”

We discovered that, on Monday, Aug. 21, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. with general admission, guests will be able to view the solar eclipse safely with special glasses and/or using OSC’s solar telescope filters and also make phone filters to capture stunning photographs of the event.

In addition, there will be solar-themed art and craft activities, as well as solar eclipse demonstrations and presentations.

The Orlando Science Center will also be hosting offsite viewing events at the Central Park West Meadow in Winter Park and at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando.

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Complimentary solar glasses will be distributed at both locations beginning at 12:30 p.m. until supplies last. We learned that the peak viewing time for the eclipse is right around 2:45 p.m. For additional details and resources, including how to safely view the eclipse, visit the special section of the Orlando Science Center website, as well as the event page created by OSC on Facebook.

When the Orlando Science Center is not gearing up for a once-in-a-century event, the more-than-200,000 square-foot facility presents its guests with unique, interactive exhibits and exclusive hands-on activities, two theaters, and an observatory, all of which can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.

ABOVE VIDEO: Here is a look at all the exciting activities within the DinoDigs exhibit gallery at Orlando Science Center.

To say that there is something for everyone is an understatement.

Here is a brief description of the various Experiences and Exhibits at the Orlando Science Center. Please note that this list is just a fraction of what the Science Center has to offer.

  • NatureWorks – a tactile exhibit that affords guests an opportunity to explore the various environments that are located within Central Florida, complete with live baby alligators and turtles.
  • Idea Factory – a collaborative display where visitors can work with numerous different tools and create their own projects and structures.
  • Kinetic Zone – formerly known as Science Park, this exhibit allows spectators to experience the rudimentary forces of nature, including electricity, gravity, Newton’s Laws and more.
  • Identity: An Exhibition of You – a traveling exhibit, which opened on June 3 and will close on September 4, Identity offers an interactive experience designed to unearth our physical, psychological and social personalities.
  • KidsTown – this 11,000-square-foot space is geared toward children aged seven years and younger and features countless learning experiences that are based in play.
  • Engineer It! – a thought-provoking exhibit, Engineer It! is designed to spark the minds of children and adults alike by focusing on the “human-made” world.
  • Our Planet – Our Planet explores the four spheres of Earth and how they all work in cooperation. Visitors can even produce their own weather forecast and make it snow in Florida!
  • DinoDigs – at this exhibit, spectators will be awed by a display of enormous fossil replicas of dinosaurs and primordial sea creatures – and you can jump in the “dig pit” and discover fossils on your own!
  • Phillips CineDome – this three-story theater boasts an 8,000 square-foot screen that immerses audiences in a variety of vivid and spectacular nature films, which are all included in the price of general admission.
  • Digital Adventure Theater – through its partnership with National Geographic Cinema Ventures, the Orlando Science Center now has access to one of the world’s largest giant-screen film libraries that shows award-winning films in 2D and 3D digital formats.
  • Crosby Observatory – the Crosby Observatory houses Florida’s largest publicly accessible refractor telescope, and it offers a unique venue for private parties.
Space Coast Daily author Lisa Nicholas, above, and video journalist Steve Wilson took a road trip to to the Orlando Science Center. This first-rate attraction is just over an hour drive from Central Brevard County and located at 777 E. Princeton Street, north of State Road 50. (Steve Wilson image)

If you’re planning to spend the day at the Orlando Science Center, and you’re not exactly sure what exhibits are age-appropriate for your traveling companions, visit the Age Recommender, which outlines the most suitable exhibits for each age group. And be sure to check out the dynamic Events Calendar so that you can make the most of your day at the Orlando Science Center.

In addition to the boundless hands-on activities and limitless interactive exhibits, the Orlando Science Center also has an ambitious educational component that includes early childhood workshops, summer camps, and afterschool programs.

The Orlando Science Center Preschool focuses on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Education, offers a low child-to-adult ratio, and is open to any child and family regardless of race, ethnicity, faith or creed.

Located at 777 E. Princeton St., the Orlando Science Center is open Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

To learn more about this remarkable facility and all of the education and fun it has to offer, visit OSC.org.

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ABOVE MAP: Located at 777 E. Princeton Street, the Orlando Science Center is open Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

The Crosby Observatory houses Florida’s largest publicly accessible refractor telescope, and it offers a unique venue for private parties.
A thought-provoking exhibit, Engineer It, is designed to spark the minds of children and adults alike by focusing on the “human-made” world.
KidsTown ia an 11,000-square-foot space geared toward children aged seven years and younger and features countless learning experiences that are based in play.

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