Nothing beats seeing the twinkle in a child's eyes as they discover something
new and exciting. At the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, they get to witness this
every day.
The centre was originally built in 1906 to house the turbines
for Johannesburg's tram system. 100 years later, this old building was
transformed into a world-class science centre with a capacity for 650 000
visitors annually.
The centre is aimed towards creating awareness and
interest in the world of maths, science and technology. It is the largest and
most visited science centre in South Africa and boasts more than 300 world-class
interactive science exhibits.
Open seven days a week, the Sci-Bono
Discovery Centre is always buzzing with excitement and it is a hive of activity.
Curious minds will be kept busy all day with a range of activities from LEGO
pits and mini construction sites to a live science show.
The centre also
caters for birthday parties, but these are hugely popular and need to be booked
months in advance.
A firm favourite with the kids seems to be the Murray
& Roberts construction site, where they get kitted out with hard hats and safety
vests while they use foam bricks and cement to build walls between steel
structures. There is also a soccer themed exhibit which explains "the science of
soccer"; their slogan is "play science, learn soccer".
The Sci-Bono
Discovery centre is used as a venue for conferences, launches, exhibitions and
kids' parties.
Hours
Monday - Friday: 9h00 - 17h00
Saturday &
Sunday: 9h30 - 16h30
Admission
Children < 3yrs: Free
Children 3-16
yrs: R20
Adults > 16 years: R35
Pensioners / Students (valid pensioners or
student card): R20
Address: Corner of Miriam Makeba & President St,
Newtown, Johannesburg
Tel: 011 639 8400