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Overpriced, large rooms with sporadic displays


Radnine

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On our end-of-year trips from Timmins to Toronto, I took my students there numerous times from the 80's up until our last visit ca. 2002. I never noticed it changing all that much except in the big round hall just past the glassed walkway, where they always had different displays set up. There was always plenty to see and do for a couple of hours.

 

You indicate that it has changed (for the worse) over time. How so?

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Took our cubs and scouts there about 5 years back. They had a blast. I do have to admit that many displays were the exact same as they were 20 years back, and may seem stale to anyone visiting on a regular basis. Museums are the same way outside of special showings.

 

The annual P.S. trips to the ROM always started in the lower level with the native peoples exhibits and the same static displays year after year. My class trips, decades back, would be repeated, exactly, by my kids some 20 years later.

Edited by bigugli
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The annual P.S. trips to the ROM always started in the lower level with the native peoples exhibits and the same static displays year after year. My class trips, decades back, would be repeated, exactly, by my kids some 20 years later.

 

Yeah, but the kids change, so it's always brand new to them. :D

 

What I found was that after a few visits to the ROM with a guide, I could take my students independently, give them the same content, and allow a little more leeway for the kids who were fascinated by particular aspects. We could give the Bat Cave short shrift, and spend more time with the dinosaurs and the Egyptian mummies. :P

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What the hell dose this have to do with fishing

 

THIS BOARD IS GETTING BRUTAL!!!.

 

TAKE THE NF TOPICS SOMWHERE ELSE!!!!!

 

Thanks for your input, it means lots from a 37 poster!

 

I was doing my best not to fry the place as I have loads of fond memories as well, it employs loads of kids, as well as giving thousands of others a place to go. But it was an awful experience topped off by the fact that I dropped $37 for me and my seven year old to park and walk about for an hour and a half, after which my son said "Dad, this is the most boring place we have ever been."

I think that they have changed a bunch of displays, and gone (just last week apparently) are the interactive things like the Bernoulli ball (the beach ball that blows up in the air). I talked to a guide there and he confirmed that it has got a little 'dry" for kids. Essentially it goes like this, you read two paragraphs of fine print to your kid then he presses a button and hears a frog make a noise. Or you hit a colander with a mallet and make a noise (to study sound waves I guess).

The highlight was the new Lizards and Snakes display. In other words, the highlight of the Science Centre was the zoo.

Jim

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37 Bucks!? Wow! That alone is enough to keep a lot of people away. I used to handle the finances for our school Toronto trips and we used to pay, IIRC, about $6 a head (group rate).

 

I'm of a mind to say that this kind of publicly-financed, youth-oriented institution should be practically free of charge.

 

Great building, beautiful setting, but I agree that if the admissions are exhorbitant and the contents are getting ho-hum, it's not very attractive.

 

One thing I'll note is that even when we were there, there seemed to be a lot of wasted space - large areas that could have been used for displays or activities that were almost empty - at times even that cavernous "rotunda" at the end of the glassed-in entrance walkway.

 

In a nod to making this thread less "NF", I think that the MNR and the MOE could certainly fill areas with interesting things to do with Ontario's lakes and rivers, the environment in general, energy conservation, careers in biology and wildlife management, etc. I know that when I visited Science North (Sudbury) with my family there were some things of that sort. Kids could hold a baby beaver, pet a porcupine, etc. Those things stick in my mind.

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37 Bucks!? Wow! That alone is enough to keep a lot of people away. I used to handle the finances for our school Toronto trips and we used to pay, IIRC, about $6 a head (group rate).

 

I'm of a mind to say that this kind of publicly-financed, youth-oriented institution should be practically free of charge.

 

Great building, beautiful setting, but I agree that if the admissions are exhorbitant and the contents are getting ho-hum, it's not very attractive.

 

One thing I'll note is that even when we were there, there seemed to be a lot of wasted space - large areas that could have been used for displays or activities that were almost empty - at times even that cavernous "rotunda" at the end of the glassed-in entrance walkway.

 

In a nod to making this thread less "NF", I think that the MNR and the MOE could certainly fill areas with interesting things to do with Ontario's lakes and rivers, the environment in general, energy conservation, careers in biology and wildlife management, etc. I know that when I visited Science North (Sudbury) with my family there were some things of that sort. Kids could hold a baby beaver, pet a porcupine, etc. Those things stick in my mind.

 

Beautifully put, and I couldn't agree more.

Jim

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I really think the moderator do a FANTASTIC job on balancing the fishing and non-fishing threads here. It's nice to be able to share/vent some life experiences with others. Thank You guys. :clapping:

 

BiteMe is a bit rough on his post but I got a kick out of it knowing it's mostly tongue in cheek response... :)

 

BTW a LONG time ago I had the pleasure to spend a day with my family at the Sudbury Science Center where they told me my oldest son (then 5 years old) and my youngest son (then 3 years old) would both be 6' tall. They missed it only by one inch each (one taller one shorter)..........(neither of their parents are any where close to that).

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But it isn't, it's the Ontario Science Centre.

What the hell happened to this once proud institution?

Jim

Did you pay to go there? Flash them your edvantage card or OSSTF card or OCT card and you get in for free. That goes for all museums and science centres.

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What the hell dose this have to do with fishing

 

THIS BOARD IS GETTING BRUTAL!!!.

 

TAKE THE NF TOPICS SOMWHERE ELSE!!!!!

 

sounds like you are not a comfortable fit for this board

it's not going to change

maybe you would be happier somewhere else

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