Ontario Science Centre

Such a great educational experience. You can go there with your family, too much fun for kids and adults. The staff was friendly. If you are visiting during winter better to know that when you arrive and get your tickets you have to wait for shuttle buses around 5 minutes so don’t take off your jacket ( if you have strollers or wheelchairs you will take accessible buses) There are 6 levels. The best for me were levels 6 and 4. There is no level 1 actually. (the shuttle bus will drop you off in level 6) Level 4 is great for kids they will play music, do gardening, bakery, building and other activities they can also play with water and build dams and … the good point is that level 4 has nursing room too. There are sanitizers everywhere. Clean washrooms with changing table. Better to bring your own snacks and water bottles. But there is restaurant and snack bar inside the building as well. Parking lot costs 12$ Admission fee is: 22$ for adults 16$ for seniors 13$ for child 3-12 Under 3 is free

Came in on a weekday morning, the place feels dead as you walk in with many staffs just stood around. Until you went to the actual science centre where you find out it’s packed full of school kids of all ages. You can easily spend the whole day here with kids.

Since my family and I have a membership, we decided to come and visit the museum today. The bus ride was about 20 minutes. We walked instead of taking the shuttle bus because the line was too long. Previously, we have had experiences of food poisoning from the cafe, so we packed our own lunch and were able to get seating. This museum is amazing. There are exhibits for all- from deep water exploration to bat caves to the reproductive system. Came with kids and explored the play area on the second floor. Had a blast. Overall a great experience and would come back again.

Best place to bring Young kids as well as inquisitive adults. The whole theme of this place will motivate a person to explore science. Recently, a new exhibition has been installed explaining the ecological system in city areas. It has an IMAX 3D dome, which unique to this place in whole GTA area. Parking space is ample. Currently some renovations are underway.

Incredible museum that enchants young and old. The explanations for natural and scientific phenomena and the exhibits are made so interactive that you want to see them all!!! It is worth spending a day. If you have children they will appreciate it. You too. Parking costs 15 CAD. It has a cafeteria inside where you can eat or drink something. But you can also have your own food and sit at tables outside the dining room.

Great experience to re-learn the basic knowledge of Science. Wish I took a picture of the planetarium but I was so busy following the comets ☄️ 🤣 plus the Human anatomy is something that I’m always fascinated about. Not busy during the weekdays but planetarium is packed. These were taken during Spring time (April 2023 if I’m not mistaken) Wish I took my time to read the boards and comments and explore / observe / experience what the kids were doing with tools and machine etc etc kinda wanna go back! 😕

There are a lot of activities for small kids. My 5 year old and 4 year old kids loved the experience. We needed more than 3 hours to truly experience the whole place, which unfortunately we didn't have. The exhibit halls have to be accessed from the rear entrance, and there are frequent shuttle busses that run between the main and the rear entrances. The family center was really fun and engaging for us. It's a great learning experience.

Good place to visit with kids! Big parking space, fee is 12$. Tickets are 22 for adult, 13 for kids. We were there for 3 hours and see only 2 levels, so definitely will visit again. My children like the kids area.

This was one of the activities on the CityPass, so I decided to go here. I went here on a Tuesday around 11:20am and there was no wait. Eventually, the place did get very crowded though since there were a bunch of kids on later, which get a tiny bit chaotic because of how crowded it got. Anyways, this was still a fun place for me since I liked how many interactive activities they have there. Some of the interactive things ranged from sniffing while others were drawing or stuffing paper in a machine for it to shoot out. I just tend to enjoy museums with interactive things better than museums that don't have that. They also have a cool indoor waterfall area too, which I thought is super cool and it was fun walking around that room, but the bridge next to the waterfall can get VERY slippery! I also liked how this museum has a food court with a bunch of popular Canadian restaurants, so I ended up getting pizza from a place called Pizza Pizza there and it tasted good too! I'd recommend this place! I do think this place might be more for little kids mainly because of the amount of kids there were that day, but I still had fun. I spent 3 hours at this museum.

We were visiting Toronto for the weekend and saw there was a pretty cool looking science museum when we were searching for things to do. My husband loves science museums, so we try to visit one when we visit a new city. The Saturday that we went, (first Saturday of May) happened to be free admission, so it worked out. Or so we thought. The museum opens at 10 am, and we thought we were getting there early at 9:45, but there were hundreds of people in line already. They must have been there since at least 9. There's also nobody there directing people where to go, until the museum actually opens. We hopped on line for what we thought was for the entrance, but by the time we got towards the front, we realized it was actually just for the SHUTTLE to get to the entrance. We waited about 40 minutes and it was only a 2 minute ride. Something we could have easily walked if someone would have been there to organize traffic. Inside was pretty much just chaos, as you would expect. We only stayed for an hour before we gave up and didn't want to deal with the crowds anymore. If it weren't for that, it seems like a pretty cool museum. There are things to learn for adults too, so it's not just a kiddie activity museum. I wouldn't mind coming back and just paying full price one day if I'm ever in Toronto again. But I definitely wouldn't recommend going on the free admission day, unless you like to stress yourself out.

We love the science Centre and the fun it brings, especially on rainy days or bad weather. Please don't move the science Centre! So much to see and experience and touch. We love that they have new exhibits every few months! We like the inventor one and the submarine one currently. Kidspark is a favourite too and they have kids potty there too alongside adult ones. Our kid will only go potty in kidspark now - hope they get more kids potties throughout the building. Lots of interactive play during kidspark but the sushi bus seems closed for a few months at least now. But the grill has decreased in quality. And for the price, it's not worth it for a burger. It's a patty with a few pickles and red onion slices, looking old. Where's our tomato and lettuce that it's supposed to come with? They didn't even explain why they are missing ingredients or sub anything else for us. So not worth a $10 burger at this shape. We also discovered an outside part. It has many floors and escalators throughout. The elevators get clogged up. After about a year or more, the tunnel between buildings is still closed and we still have to take a shuttle or walk uphill to get to the other part. Expect long lines during closing time.

This science center has 4 floors PLUS a separate building for the planetarium. There is a tunnel that connects the science building and planetarium, which was closed when we visited (it was inconvenient). They provided a complimentary shuttle that ran continuously (no specific scheduled times), or you can take the walkway along the road, which would take about 10 minutes (it was kinda a warm day to walk). We didn't know about the different floors of the science center. It didn't look like much when you enter the science center building, but we kept going to the next floor, and before we realized it, we spent FOUR HOURS there! One floor has a small "city" for little ones, which looked so cool, but my preteens were too old for it. They had great educational displays & demonstrations that are informative for all ages. As some of the reviewers said, the building did look (and kinda smell ) a bit outdated. We enjoyed it because it was our first time here, but I could see how things get old when you visit repeatedly. We did love how each floor offered completely different types of information & feel. There's a nice spacious area with benches, chairs, & tables in planetarium building for a break &/or eat lunch/snacks, just past the tunnel entrance, with bathrooms across the hall. This area was quiet with only few ppl around, so we really enjoyed eating our small lunch that we brought.

I visited the Ontario Science center in 2019 when there was a free admission. It had been a long time maybe like 10 years ago since I had visited. The day I went it was crazy mobs. I do want to highlight some features: accessible washroom, benches everywhere, a divergence to themed exhibitions that change on rotation and the interactive exhibits reduced. As a kid I remember there were genetics and different interactive features completely removed with the themed exhibits in its place; I dunno as a kid I always liked returning like the McD playground. So the themed exhibits...is different What is nice ls ability to bring outside food in, so if you are a large family that cant afford expensive inside vender food, no worries bring your own lunch. My favourite exhibit was the mario exhibit at the time as I got defeated by 5 year olds -hilarious. This is still a family fun place to be. Oh yes, parking was a nightmare, cheated and at locally then parked and walked. :/

Sadly, The museum is no more. The museum will be demoslished on October 2024. I am going to miss this museum. There are no other science museums in the Toronto area.

The Science Centre was fun but im kind of disappointed that is Permanently Closed i am kind of sad

We just purchased a membership as they had a Black Friday deal and we went on Saturday afternoon. It didn't feel crowded even though we went on a weekend. Most of the exhibits were still open. They only closed a few exhibits, I'm guessing because it would be hard for anyone to social distance in those. I didn't feel like COVID affected it too much. Their restaurant is spacious and workers clean the tables often. My kids' favorite was for sure the Kidspark. They have a time table showing when to line up to get tickets to get in (it's free btw!) and a time table showing when we should line up and go inside and play. Very organized. The lady who helped out at the Kidspark area was beyond patient and kind. (I'm sure she was asked the same question every 2 mins) make sure you go to Level 4 and grab your tickets before seeing anything else! It was hard to see everything in one afternoon or even the whole day. I suggest to talk with your kids what they preferences are before you head over. Highly recommended!

The Ontario Science Centre is located right off Don Valley Parkway (Hwy 404) and built on the side of a mountain/hill. It displays lots of basic science themes, including biology, physics, chemistry, geology, and more. It is also a very family-friendly place. Beware that parking is an additional $12 per car and can get very crowded, especially on weekends. I strongly recommend you come early if possible! They also show several omnimax movies every hour throughout the day (45min long) - I watched Oceans and it was alright. They do spend about 10-15 minutes before the movie explaining how cool the theatre is (lol). It can be nice to visit, but it *is* more geared towards kids. If you're not a kid, I would suggest going to the ROM instead!

We traveled 2.5 hours to experience this museum with three 8 year Olds, one with autism and what a waste of time and money. Our kids left saying science sucks because they had zero opportunity to engage in any of the exhibits due to the fact there were hundreds of camp kids who took over the bloody place. There should be some warning on the website about the days that camps are there because we would never have travelled that far for literally nothing. The shuttle to get to and from the exhibit was also long and completely out of the way. We decided to have lunch in the valley restaurant......do not eat there! Absolutely disgusting. I had one bite of food and threw it out. Over priced and gross. Ontario science center do better or shut down.

It blinded me with science! This was the best and biggest science center I've ever visited with 6 super engaging floors of amazing fun for all ages. I visited with my little fam of 2 adults and 2 toddlers (ages 2 and 4) on a weekend afternoon and while there were plenty of people, it never felt crowded at all. My kids always had a chance or more to try exactly what they wanted. While this center boasts an IMAX theater, planetarium, rainforest, and more, we mostly targeted floors 4 and 6 for the kids. These floors had tons of live demonstrations and hands-on exhibits- construction concepts, a hot air balloon, a play supermarket, models of human bones to handle, and experiments with light, sound, and water. We could have spent over 2 days here to experience everything. I absolutely plan to come back because SCIENCE!!! TIPS: **Though they offer food/drinks, you can definitely bring your own and dine in their lunch area. **Very family-friendly with lockers, stroller parking areas on every floor, and the option of family bathrooms **Ticket prices were $22 CAD ($17 USD) for adults, $12 ($9 USD) for children 3-12, and free for children 2 and under. Membership allows free admission to over 300 science centers worldwide (https://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/Members/Join/Benefits/). **Parking was $10 CAD and we gave them $20 USD at the time and got $11 CAD back.

My daughter and I both enjoyed this museum. Given that it was solely geared ok accomplishments of Canadians. We learned a lot and enjoyed the break from walked and interacting during the imax showing. I would strongly advise if you have children to stop here ! You're kids and you will love it

A really cool place to visit with the kids. We pretty much spent the entire day here. It was a lot of fun for everyone.

I'm sooo wet don't recommend Please don't go it's also not good for busses so please do not go there if u don't want hypothermia.

I love the Ontario Science Centre, but I can't just can't give it five stars. Honestly, it's not the OSC's fault. It's the visitors' fault. I made the mistake of checking it out during March Break, and in general if you can visit on a Monday-Friday not on a school holiday, I highly recommend it. I love kiddos, but it's obviously overwhelming to be around that many excited kids playing with science stuff. Holy. The imax is definitely worth the extra money, we loved the under water movie that was playing. Our little was a little too young to enjoy the space area, but the 8 and under zone was loved, mega mega loved.

I'm pretty sure the last time I came here was during a field trip as a kid. I was worried that the exhibits might not be informative enough for an adult but man I did a lot of learning the other day. The rotating exhibit is currently one on quantum technologies. It's extremely ambitious to offer information on this topic in a palatable manner for both kids and adults but the science centre nailed it. It covered introductory topics to quantum computing through interactive displays which were thought-provoking and engaging. My favourite was the manipulation of lasers to bounce into a target. In the same area there were scientists offering live talks and we were lucky enough to catch one on superconductors. I'm extremely impressed with the gentleman that did our talk as he was great with building up excitement, showing us magic pretty much and fielding questions from kids and adults alike. We spent about an hour in this section alone. You won't leave the exhibit with an expert knowledge on the topic (they have university programs for this ;)) but you will gain an understanding of what's out there and it's a great way to tease kids into exploring more science on their own! There are a few critters inside the centre including an aquatic tropical ecosystem. Notice ecosystem and not aquarium. It's totally enclosed and self-sustaining. It was interesting seeing how the different tanks were connected and depended on each other. One of the jewels at the OSC is of course, the indoor rainforest! You will come across some animals that are in exhibits and there are fish in the river but you don't have to worry about any loose jaguars. Another really fun area is the science arcade. Almost everything here is interactive and hands on allowing you to dance, climb, pull, jump and shout your way to learning more. You can see that there are parts of the centre that are a little more dated but still a lot of learning to be done.

The Science Centre is not a quarter of what it was last time I visited. Quite disappointed.

As a scientist myself, I'm always on the lookout for interactive Science museums!! Be warned - give yourself enough time here!! 2 hours, MINIMUM is even pushing it (that's the time we had because it was our last day in town and we decided to go to check it out anyways). I'd say 3 - 4 hours is good, maybe account for more time if you're going to eat at the cafe in between. Don't make the mistake that I did - the ticketing tables are on the the top levels and you head DOWN to the 4 levels of interactive fun. I was too excited and ran straight to the first elevators that I saw, when a staff member kindly mentioned that we want to go down. Luckily, the lady at the front desk gave us the best advice to START at the 4th level - or the bottom most level. It had the most amount of things to do. It was PACKEDDDD. Even as an adult, I was happily running around, pressing all the buttons and pulling all the levers while trying to read the plaques at the same time. All the written and audio information is both in French and English! They have water fountains and bathrooms around so you can stay hydrated. My favorite part was challenging my boyfriend on the rowing machines. You can go head to head and see who gets to the finish line based on how well you row. Second favorite part was the last thing we saw just as we were going to head out - there is a little adventure cave that is an interactive story where you make decisions and it tells you to go right or left. It takes you through a story where you are "hiking" up to a peak and have a few stops where you make crucial decisions along the way. If you choose correctly, you make it to the top! I thought it was a fun idea! If I had children, I'd happily bring them to spend an afternoon here. It is a great way to learn and to use your hands to try out the science as you're reading about it. Parking is $10 CA, so keep that in mind as well. Check different places online/other attractions for discounts to the Science Center. The city pass includes the Science Center OR the Zoo as one of your choices. Look into that, too, because you could save SO MUCH if you are planning on going to the attractions that are included.

This was my second or third time to the Ontario Science Centre, and I always come to the conclusion that there's never enough time in a day to tour the whole centre. I came with family and friends and was entertained every room that I went to. All areas had a specific topic and the science behind it. Not only do the areas have scientific information but all areas seem to have an interactive activity in each area. My favourite areas were the rowing competition machine in the athletic/sports area. The magic booth and the puzzle booth located in the main area beside the projected screen floor. During this past visit, I don't think I even made it through half of the Science Centre. In order to make it to everything, I would suggest having a map and a plan where you wanted to visit and tackle it that way. I know I'll have to come back to relive my childhood yet again. JimStar Out!!

I had a good time at the science center yesterday! There's a lot to see and also the omni max theater was really fascinating! A lot of the things are hands on so get ready to bring some hand sanitizer with you. It's probably better for younger children but my group of teens had a good time too! But also note that it can get super crowded at times which I guess Is expected!

The Science Centre has come a long way since you were a child. If you have your own kids now, it's time to head back. The old sports area with the fastball pitch is gone, but that space has been replaced with far more interactive exhibits that you could imagine. Allowing you child to pretend shop at the interactive grocery market, or build a house at the home depot play place, will allow you to watch the hours slip away. The water play area, and climbing structures make this a great place for a family to spend a day or two.

The best science museum I've ever been to. I'm a bit upset because I didn't have time to finish the whole museum. This is definetly a whole day attraction for kids and teenagers. I used the Toronto city pass for this attraction. There's always something to do and your children will never get bored.

Holy moly todays trip the the science centre was horrible it left me and my fellow classmates EXTREMELY WETT DO NOT GO or you will be WETT to!!

I went to the Science Centre for the first time as an adult this past week. It's pretty much the same as I remember, but definitely a place for kids! I went during a weekday and it was packed. I don't know why I thought it would be quieter in the summer, but I was wrong! I found the giant silver ball that makes your hair stand up and watched that demo, it's such a classic OSC thing that everyone should try and catch while they visit. The exhibit this time was Space, and it was pretty good. They had an astronaut there talking about his experiences and various other space activities. There's a large family interactive zone that was buzzing with sounds and kids, but it wasn't chaotic. All of the stations were staffed, and they kept it under control. I remember the science arcade being amazing...but now it's just in a quiet hallway. They had a decent food area but one thing I was sad about was the lack of main gift shop. I remember the gift shop back in the day as being one of the highlights of coming here...now there are a couple gift areas sprinkled around but it's not the same. If you're going with young people/children, it will be a great time...as an adult though, there's not much for you!

A day trip to the Science Centre is always a fun and educational experience. It's built over 6 levels into the side of the Don Valley which adds to the charm of the building. There are many different exhibits catering to many different ages and interests including nature, the human body, materials and space. My personal favourite is the space exhibits that contain rocks from the Moon and a Martian meteorite as well as a planetarium and cloud chamber demonstrating cosmic rays. There's an IMAX theatre which has a massive surround screen that shows a variety of films on numerous subjects such as the oceans, butterfly migration, building the railway through the Rockies and dinosaur. Tickets are an additional fee to the entrance fee unless you have one of the higher levels of membership.

This can be a very fun place to go. We visited several times and each time our family from Vancouver came out we also brought them here either to see an IMAX movie or browse the exhibits. As cool as this place is I think most people would agree it could definitely use some updating. A lot of things are faded and outdated. I understand it must be difficult to always have to keep up and do renovations but this place really could use a few to make it more interesting and interactive for younger people. The theatre where they play the IMAX movies is really fun. We found it odd that some of the movies are incredible quality and really pull you in (Great Bear Rainforest, SuperPower Dogs) while others seem like they are being played off a VHS (Volcanos and Oceans).

Remember when you were young and this place was the latest and greatest? Well it hasn't changed. I mean, it's still the latest and greatest circa 1980. It's too bad, since science and technology evolves in leaps and bounds, only this place stays the same. It's more of a history museum by now. Also, I'm not a fan of seeing the science of sports and Rock 'n Roll. Really? Even in a science museum we have to dumb things down and appeal to the masses with sports and Rock 'n Roll? Why not show us what scientists are doing, instead?

First I love that this museum was open until 8pm! It was refreshing to walk around the museum in the evening hours with the fam during a time when we are typically home winding down from the day. But since this is a part of our winter vacation break the experience was even that much sweeter. As a mother with a child in college, high school and elementary I found that this museum satisfied Althea interest of all 3 of my children while keeping my husband and I entertained. Highly interactive from the see through escalator when you enter to the variety of gadgets, exhibits, and presentations, this museum was the perfect family activity. My favorite exhibit was the deep water dive. A simple but impactful simulated experience of descending deep into the ocean while holding breath. The lights, sounds, and environment made it as realistic as it could be in a museum. The star exhibits we memorable with the different interactive concepts to convey space, time and matter. This place is huge. It was about the size of a very large mall. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to turn the unused malls at home into museums like this that stay open till 8 or even 10 at night. I think it would be a very effective way to pull people away from the black mirror and back into the real world. Love this museum! Definitely coming back to finish seeing the rest of it.

This place is an institution - but I am not a fan. I know a lot of moms rave about OSC; but I do not see the appeal. Each time I have gone; the pretend play area is in complete chaos and there really isn't enough supervision- I would honestly feel better if OSC implemented a system similar to the one at the Strong Museum, when it comes to the KidSpark area. Other than that, I'll be honest here - I really do feel that this place is quite tired and could use a refresh for pretty much everything.

It is well worth the time and money to bring your little ones here for a day of fun. I brought my nieces and nephews to OSC on 2 occasions. They killed 2 to 3 hours on the interactive educational games both times. They never got tired of the educational games on the 6th floor. The games cover physics (air, temperature, sound, movement, mass, electricity, etc), biology (human and insects), and a bit of chemistry (paper making). OSC has added a section of interactive fun on the 5th floor. I think this section is more suitable for young adults and older instead of children. From the ground to the 4th floor, OSC is filled with displays of scientific knowledge. I love to scroll and read them. One day is not enough. If you have young children to bring along, you can join their annual memberships. For $130 (2016 price), the membership covers unlimited regular admission for 2 adults and 4 children. It also cover reciprocal admission to a list of international science centres.

1 star off for the pricey entrance fee ($22 adult, $16 for student ID holders and teens), but the rest was phenomenal. To add context to my review, however, I must mention that I've never been to the big science museums in Chicago and New York City, which I heard were 10000x better than OSC, but I have been to the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC and I still think the level of detail and organization of the exhibits at OSC are comparable. This is my 1st visit to the OSC and I was pretty happy with the friendly and helpful service, fast entry (despite coming mid-day on a Saturday), and easy to navigate venue. There is plenty of parking (paid I assume) and a drop off area near the main entrance, where you can purchase your tickets. Each floor is organized by theme, e.g. nature, space, but on the main floor where you entered they have new, rotating exhibits. Currently, they have a really interactive biomechanics exhibit set up with lots of lessons on how animals move. Pick up a map and explore the whole place! Many exhibits are hands-on interactive and all have descriptions/how-does-it-work explanations, so each are self-explanatory. Unless you're coming with a large group I don't think you'll need a tour guide since exhibits are self-explanatory. I think younger children (elementary to middle school) would enjoy OSC more than high school or university students, but as a medical student I was pretty fascinated by everything :) You should probably plan on staying at least 1/2 day here since there is a lot to see. Note that certain exhibits like the planetarium and IMAX have a schedule (1:30PM and 3:30PM showings), so look up times beforehand online. For hungry visitors! I was impressed by the Tim Hortons, ironically, just outside the entrance since they had Pizza Pizza, ice cream (packaged), and healthier refrigerated options including a curry wrap (vegetarian), chia pudding, and greek yogurt parfait with fresh berries and cashews+other nuts. Yum!

I was so disappointed. We took my daughter out of school to come thinking it would be more educational than a day at school. Wrong. The quantum display is a ton of text that even with a PhD (which I have), I couldn't understand. The interactive activities were either broken or not explanatory enough to be meaningful. The kids I saw were just running around randomly hitting buttons and having fun running and chasing but not learning. Several areas were outdated, broken or supplies were wiped out so my daughter couldn't even try it (despite it being not busy at all). This museum has seen better days. It doesn't live up to its old reputation at all. Tons of dead space with things that just didn't engage. Unless you have little ones and want to spend time in the kids play area, I honestly couldn't say I learned a thing today. In today's age of excitement over STEM this felt like a huge letdown. The imax movies are always good and in my opinion the only thing worth the price here. I will not go back unless there is a specialized outside exhibit or to attend an imax.

Be very careful going these days, especially if you have a young child. I took my 7-year old grandson yesterday (September 1) only to find the 4th floor closed. That's KidSpark and the aerospace exhibit, the two that I knew he would love. Why they would close this key children's exhibit during the summer holidays, I don't know, I got no warning when I booked my tickets (from a science centre employee), but I would never have gone had I known. Together with my wife, it cost be a total of $69 including parking, to be thoroughly disappointed. Ross Healy

This place is HUGE! We had two little ones so couldn't fully appreciate everything that the science center has to offer but there was enough age appropriate things for kids of ALL ages. We went to the under 8 year old sections and there was a lot of fun things for them to touch and play with. Everything is pretty spacious which is great for strolling and although the science center was PACKED, it didn't feel too crazy crowded. One thing that is weird is that if you're wanting to go to a higher level floor (6th floor), you actually have to push the down button?? Took us a while to figure that out so we were riding the elevator for a bit. The cafeteria had pretty decent food but the pasta station was SUPER slow. Everything is made to order which is nice but takes way too long! Overall my kids napped afterwards (which means they had fun!) and though tickets are pricey was time well spent.

Maybe families with small children will enjoy this place, although I don't see how. Other than the Omnimax, it is DEFINITELY not for adults looking for a real museum, or even anyone over about age 8. I'll start with the good-the Omnimax theater is awesome. We saw two films-one on the Great Bear Rainforest and one on Apollo 11. Both were fascinating, although the Apollo one was not actually formatted for Omnimax, with huge parts of the screen blank at the top and bottom and the middle looked unnaturally stretched. But, the BAD. First, this place is totally geared to small children. The layout is bad and there is almost no attempt to keep the exhibits that are meant for adults separate from the wild running and playing exhibits for the small children. Even the Planetarium only seats 50 people, and of those 50 "seats", half are bean bags. So the programs, which there aren't that many in the first place, are totally geared to little kids. Why not have separate shows for at least ages 12+ where there can be real information, not cute stories and guessing "games" about where the moon will end up in 24 hours. And then-half the exhibits are outdated with displays that don't work. My favorite-a display on the planets that mentioned that Neptune WILL complete an orbit around the sun for the first time in recorded history in 2012. It's 2019, people. And I have never seen so many out of control children in my life. It was unbelievable how wild these children were being-more than one family. That's not totally the museum's fault-although again, keeping the exhibits that encourage wild running and screaming separate from the serious ones would help, as would having more staff monitoring the floor. But seriously, I've been to Disneyworld and children were better behaved. Again, maybe if you have small children to entertain (read: let them run wild like hyenas) this is a good place for you. If you're childless, or your children are older than 8, or even a mature 5, stay away.

DO NOT THINK about going on a Saturday especially if the weather is poor. Many of the timed exhibits had waits and demand which kept many people from attending. We got in line 30 mins prior to the Planetarium Show and most everyone in line behind us did not make it in. The theater only holds 50 people and if you're not willing to camp out 30 mins or more in advance you won't get in during high demand days. If you've purchase the City Pass (as we did) and have the opportunity to choose the Zoo over the science center, I would suggest the zoo. Compared to other science centers, generally not the easiest to navigate. The maps are clear but once you're in an exhibit area you basically wander and try and cover all the items. It's not terribly logical as to which way to go and how to navigate your way though. As normally expect, please don't plan to eat here. Eat before or after or bring your own food. I'm being nice with 3 stars. But it's likely because I recognize how grumpy I am after spending the day here.

Best science center I've been too. My kids loved it!! There are 6 levels with a number of different topics/focuses. Sooooo much to do. You definitely need more than 3hrs to view/do everything. Under 2hrs for us wasn't enough time. We came from the States to visit so unfortunately that was our only visit opportunity. I was really really pleased with all the hands on things to do, the layout and informative type of things they had. Kids 1 year to at least 10 yrs old would enjoy. DEFINITELY TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO THIS AWESOME CENTER!!!! 10 out of 10! The hours aren't great. Should be opened longer during weekdays and weekends.

I took a journey to the Ontario Science museum and left a little worried about its future. The price was ridiculously high for what is presented based on other attractions near by. The interior was drastically falling apart. Dirt, paint shipping, and stains were abundant. As an adult, without children I came with a buddy of mine and although we had fun and did learn a few things it was overall a disappointment. It is aimed at children but there are a few things adults can enjoy. I was disappointed there was no suvinour shop!! If you take your time and read everything you can definitely make a full day out of it.

Horrible place that now adopting draconian measures such as the illegal and discriminatory vaccine passportsI had a membership with them that I only used a couple of times and they won't issue a refund for the remainder and went full out communist. Avoid this place at all costs! Take your kids somewhere that people don't use idiotic measures!

I rate this museum a 3.2. I know it is a weird rating but it makes sense. We came here because it was included with the city pass. The amount of kids in the science center gave me anxiety. However, that is expected in a science center. So beware. We went to the show in the planetarium which was nice and Sean (I believe that was the employees name) was so entertaining. The planetarium only holds 50 people so be aware and go on the line early for the shows! The energy show was cancelled which was a disappointment and also how dirty the arts and crafts station was. It was a nightmare how filthy the area was. They need to have an employee monitoring that section hourly. On the other hand, the cafeteria was very good. It was clean, affordable and the food was excellent. Parking was $10 and the parking lot was huge. They should make the science center interesting for adults too not just children. Overall I had a decent experience at science center. Would I recommend? If you have young children yes but if you don't go somewhere else!

Always a good time . Can be a bit crazy with the school visits . Fridays seem to be quieter . Have been here more than 10 times and always see something new . I max shows are good and fair price to park .

Fun place to take the kiddos we came up for a weekend and wanted to do fun family friendly things. There is a lot to do here for all age groups. They even have a toddler area for 3 and under and a 8 and under section. My complaint is that they close at 4 we didn't get there until 2 and we felt rushed. But I do think we got to do everything we needed also I suppose their entrance fee is a little high but that's to be expected Would definitely come back with the kids for sure

Horrible location. Brought a group of students, many were bored quickly, same for these guardians. I remember enjoying it in 30 one years ago... Needs a major reboot and funds to make relevant or interesting.

This place is hands down one of the coolest museums I've been to, period. I have been to most of the museums in DC, I grew up with cool museums in SF, but this is a seriously world class museum. If you have kids, or you like science at least a smidge, you will enjoy this museum. I managed to spend almost the entire day here, exploring all of the floors and I still ended up skipping over a few exhibits. One of the neater things about this museum is of course as a piece of architecture. It's built into the Don Valley Ravine, so the museum goes down as you explore further. There's so much to see! At the time of my visit, there was an exhibit of kinetic art that was really beautiful. There are a lot of hands on exhibits for kids of a range of ages. There was also a Canada 150 exhibit highlighting all the cool things that Canadians have invented. There are a few dated exhibits, particularly in the astronomy section, the planetarium is pretty low-res, and that whole area could use an overhaul/update. I highly recommend taking some time to visit here if you're doing touristy things in Toronto.

PROS + Easily accessible by public transport (bus) + Some unique exhibits, e.g. Mindworks & A Question of Truth + Variety of hands-on interactive exhibits CONS - Exhibits are disappointingly outdated - Many broken, missing, or removed displays - Many interactive exhibits are run-down and not well maintained I am a Certified Nerd in my mid-20s and I love any sort of museum or science center where I can geek out in glee. I gave the Ontario Science Centre a try as I had purchased the Toronto CityPass. The OSC is a bit of a ways out of downtown Toronto (about 45min via public transit) so going here will essentially be a full day trip. Sadly, I was fairly disappointed by what the OSC had to offer. The permanent exhibits here are terribly outdated. Many displays are old, run-down, broken, or simply are no longer relevant. A few examples: - The Living Earth exhibition: Displays were citing predictions for how climate/global warming/etc might be like in the year 2000. Hmm... - The Human Body exhibition had a display for new birth control methods "in-the-works." Some are laughable, but many are available today - e.g. the nuva ring, reversible vasectomies, etc. - The aging machine in the human body exhibition takes THREE WHOLE MINUTES per person to generate images of progressive aging. The printer that should allow you to print your images of why you'll look like 80 years later is broken. This really is a cool interactive activity but 3 minutes per person and a million demon children crowding the machine does not bode well for you getting even a remote chance to have at it. - A good number of interactive displays in the Mindworks and Science Arcade exhibitions are in poor condition, broken, or removed for what I hope to be repairs Ok, how about some redeeming qualities? + The Question of Truth exhibition offered some interesting perspectives on race, gender, sex, culture, etc. Perhaps when this exhibition was first debuted, addressing such issues would have been fairly novel and refreshing. While perhaps no longer surprising or eye-opening, the themes in the displays here are worth taking a gander. + The Live Rainforest is pretty cool, albeit small. This area is well maintained (it's alive! Guess it has to be) with several live creatures on display. The frogs are cool and the simulated "rain" is a nice realistic touch I didn't check out any of the IMAX features as the one available that day was similar to others I've seen before many times ("To the Arctic"). If you are spending the whole day at the OSC, you may find this worthwhile if you're willing to pay extra for it. Note: The Human Body exhibition will close on 7/3/12 for "renewal". I sincerely hope they update everything in this hall because the info really is interesting and would be intriguing for both kids and grownups alike.

I have not been here since I was a kid, this place seem to have changed in some areas and not changed in some areas. I always enjoyed all the learning at this place because it was in such a cool place, plus I got to leave school. It made me realize that school was not the only place to learn and get educated. It made me want to get a job at the museum. I hope to have more time to visit again.

One of the best things about being a parent is the opportunity it affords to see the world through your childrens' eyes. I have two kids: a (nearly) four year old and a (just-turned) two year old. We went to the Science Centre on a family outing, to celebrate my baby's birthday. Full disclosure: I was deeply skeptical. Back in the day, the Science Centre was part of the Ontario Childhood Holy Trinity of Things To Do During Christmas/March Break/Summer Vacation, along with the Toronto Zoo and the Royal Ontario Museum. It was also the first day trip to fall off the list as I grew older; the exhibits were dated and boring, the place was inaccessible, and cooler events were scheduled for other parts of the city. What I didn't know is that the entire fourth floor was made over into an interactive playground meant for little kids. From what we got to, there were three different areas: two that fostered more active play, and one devoted to space exploration. Both kids had a blast. The first wing was devoted mostly to sensory play; they lasted about 40 minutes, longer than I would have expected. The second wing had more fun stuff, including a mock-up of a grocery store, a garden, a castle and a 'working' construction area. The third included the 'space' pavilion, tricked out with a mini plane_arium where we all took a trip to the moon. There's also a generous concourse in the middle of the floor, with tables and chairs to accommodate kids' random eating schedules. The only downside is a giant musical work of art, where you pitch billiard balls along a Rube Goldberg device-it's too big for the little kids to handle, and my son's fun day was marred when he went tummy-first on a corrugated stepladder. The Ontario Science Centre offers an annual pass that pays for itself in two visits. My wife and I would probably say thanks but no thanks, although there was still plenty to see that we didn't get to. But as the kids hit that sweet spot between wonder and curiosity and understanding, it might be worth the investment.

The KidSpark area for young children is quite busy, but still a nice place to while away an afternoon. A few other areas (the Telus Rainforest, the Weston innovation zone, etc.) are recent and well-maintained. Other areas, however, are terribly dated, and can't stand up to the immersive media experience that a kid can get at home these days. So, basically, it's still a viable place to play and learn, particularly for toddlers and young children, but some areas are getting heavily dated, and without further investment, I'm not sure how long it can remain relevant.

We went the Science Center this Aug specifically to check out the Video Game Exhibit they had for a short showing. It was like walking in to the arcades...when I was 17. Very cool exhibit, so many games I had not seen since a child or teenager and the best part was you get to actually play them. Other than the exhibit this place is pretty incredible. There are an amazing amount of really neat interactive exhibits through out the center. There were some imax ..I think ..lol did not have a chance to attend tickets were out and we arrived around 1p.m after traveling back from Niagra Falls.