Science North in Sudbury, Ontario as a fun and educational attraction that will appeal to all family members.
We make the 4.5 hour drive north from the Toronto area to Sudbury a few times a year as my husband’s parents and my youngest sister and her family both live there. One of our favourite places to visit when we are in town has always been Science North which is Canada’s second largest science centre and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ontario.
Science North has a beautiful location on the shores of Ramsey Lake. There is a wooden boardwalk alongside the lake where visitors are welcome to stroll and there are boat cruises available on the lake from late May until early October.
Emma outside Science North in Sudbury
One of my favourite parts of Science North is the tunnel that leads from the main building to the building that houses most of the exhibits. Due to the elevation difference between the two, architects were able to link them by way of an underground rock tunnel that was blasted through 2.3 billion year old bedrock. Nickel mining has always played a significant role in the economy of Sudbury and this tunnel is meant to replicate the experience of walking through an underground mine.
Emma in the tunnel at Science North
Visitors access the upper exhibit floors by way of a glass-enclosed spiral ramp which affords a beautiful view of Ramsey Lake as well as Science North’s natural surroundings with the occasional small animal or bird sighting. The ramp area also incorporates rock outcrops and an ancient geological fault line known as the Creighton Fault. Looking up, visitors will also be amazed by the huge skeleton of a Fin Whale that is suspended from the ceiling of the upper level.
Ramp to upper levels
F. Jean MacLeod Butterfly Gallery
The F. Jean MacLeod Butterfly Gallery on the second floor is one of our favourite exhibits. Visitors enter the glass-enclosed gallery to find hundreds of tropical butterflies and plants. The climate-controlled (i.e. humid) room features feeding stations with attached magnifiers so that visitors can get a close look (without touching!) and also an enclosed cabinet with hanging pupae in various stages of development. Lucky visitors may see a butterfly emerge while they are watching.
Butterfly specimens at Science North
Hoping to attract butterflies
Nature Labs
The Nature Labs on the 3rd floor are another a fun and educational area for families to explore. The floor is divided into several labs including the Forest Lab; the Northern Garden; the Wetlands Lab; the Lakes and River Lab; and an Erosion Table. This space is very popular with kids due to the presence of live animals that they can learn more about and, in some cases, interact with.
The Lakes and Rivers Lab is home to Drifter – a beaver who has his very own enclosed dam and waterway. On one visit, several years ago, we met a baby beaver that one of the staff members was holding for visitors to pet. I was surprised by the incredibly soft texture of his fur which provided some insight into why the historic beaver fur trade prospered for such a long time.
In the Forest Lab, visitors can also observe snakes, frogs, Eastern Screech Owls named Ben and Hootie, Rosy the skunk and my favourite, Quillan the porcupine. Handlers remove Quillan from his enclosure from time to time to have a snack and allow visitors the opportunity to pet him. When petting a porcupine, it is very important to do it in one motion down his back and then lift your hand before touching him again so as not to get speared by a sharp quill.
Quillan is very good-natured and sits patiently snacking while people pet and photograph him. My younger daughter, Emma, was afraid to touch him at first but after seeing everyone else doing it without poking themselves on his quills, she bravely petted him as well.
Quillan the porcupine having a snack
Katie petting the porcupine
Emma finally gets up the nerve to pet Quillan
In the Forest Lab, visitors can try on a set of moose antlers to get a sense of just how large these majestic creatures are.
Trying on some antlers
Science Labs
The fourth floor of Science North has a number of fun science labs for hands-on experimentation. These include: BodyZone – exhibits where visitors can learn all about the human body; Space Place – exhibits about astronauts, space missions, and the solar system; the Speed Park Racetrack – an exhibit that teaches about pulleys, motors and structural stability; Tech lab – an exhibit that teaches about all things electrical; and the FedNor Cyber Zone – an exhibit that explores computer technology.
Listening intently at an exhibit about taste
Ready, Set, Go…
Estimating adult height
Playing a harp without strings
A visit to Science North in Sudbury, Ontario is a fun and educational experience for the entire family and one that can be repeated many times without any chance of boredom setting in. Whether visiting the city of Sudbury or just passing through on the Trans Canada Highway, Science North is a great destination for families to spend a few hours.
What You Need To Know
- Science North is located at 100 Ramsey Lake Road in Sudbury (Phone: 1-800-461-4898)
- Science North is open year-round (except for December 24, 25, 26 and January 1) but hours of operation vary by season.
- Quick meals and snacks are available on-site at Elements Food Court and at Café Boréal.
- There is also a Digital Planetarium and an IMAX Theatre on site and there is a separate admission fee for each.
- The Toddler’s Treehouse is a fun play area for young children up to age 5.
- The Whizard’s Gift Shop just inside the main entrance has a wide selection of educational toys and souvenirs.
- General Admission pricing is: $20 for adults; $18 for youths/seniors; and $16 for children aged 12 and under. There is combination pricing available with several options including Dynamic Earth (a nearby science centre also operated by Science North); IMAX and the Planetarium. Parking at both Science North and Dynamic Earth is $5 per vehicle although we have visited during the off-season when there has been no charge for parking.
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jade
It does look really fun! I know Bob would love petting the porcupine!
Vi
Quillan looks so funny 😀
Sophie
Very informative! My kids adore science centres and this looks like a good one.
Lisa Wood
I love the look of the Science Norht – that harp is huge!
How does the height work??
And how brave are your girls to pat the porcupine!
Sure looks like so much fun, and is reasonable prices 🙂
InsideJourneys
Your daughter is such a little ham. This is a really cool place, especially for kids. Fun all around.
Laurel
Looks like fun and very cool that people are allowed to touch the porcupine.
Steve
That’s a fantastic walkway you get to go through to get into the Science Center. Very creative.
I see Emma’s been practicing her “two thumbs up” poses. She seems to have it mastered now. Time to give her another thumb.
Leigh
I’ve heard my very good friends from Espanola rave about this place for years. Don’t ask me why I never got my kids in there on one of our visits- looked like we missed a fun day.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista
This sounds like a great place and I would love that tunnel too! Your daughter must have fun with the Moose antlers. It is fun to really see how big these animals are!
Lisa Goodmurphy
We have been to the Science Centre countless times and this is the first time that we were able to pet the porcupine. It was pretty cool – quills feel a bit like a wiry broom!
Lisa Goodmurphy
I think Quillan is a bit of a character – he just sat there munching away, completely oblivious to the flashing cameras and the people petting him. Not sure whether he enjoys to be pet or could just care less!
Lisa Goodmurphy
I may be biased, however, I think it’s one of the best science centres that our family has visited. The nature area with the animals is my favourite part!
Lisa Goodmurphy
The height estimate is calculated by computer. There’s a height chart to measure a child’s exact height and then you input the height with the date of birth and the calculation is made. The prediction is made based on how tall a child presently is for their exact age.
It took a little coaxing for Emma to touch the porcupine but eventually she did it. I pet the porcupine too and I’ve posted the evidence on the Facebook page.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Yes, that describes Emma just about perfectly! The Science Centre is a great deal of fun for kids!
Lisa Goodmurphy
Touching the porcupine was one of the coolest things that I’ve done in a long time! Never imagined that I would actually tell someone that I had petted a porcupine. 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
The walkway is amazing – you do really feel like you are walking through an underground mining tunnel! Emma has been working on the thumbs up pose for awhile now – I agree she needs a new pose and three thumbs would definitely be unique! 🙂
Lisa Goodmurphy
We drive through Espanola every year on our way to Manitoulin Island – another one of my favourite Ontario places. You have probably been hiking there as well!
Science North is a hidden gem – it’s too bad you never made it there with your kids.
Lisa Goodmurphy
The moose antlers are huge! You really don’t have a sense of just how big a moose is until you compare the size of a person to those antlers.
Jessica
That is a fantastic tunnel! I would love to visit just for the tunnel alone.
Lisa Goodmurphy
The tunnel is almost worth the price of admission all by itself! Your boys would love Science North – so much hands-on fun!
Dick Jordan
Cool place!
Cathy Sweeney
I think the tunnel would be a highlight for me, too. The kids really seem to be enjoying their learning experience.
Nancie
What a great way to spend a day!
Mary @ The World Is A Book
This looks like such a fun but also very educational place to visit with many unique features. The tunnel is way cool and I think Quillan is just too adorable. Loving Emma’s thumbs up poses, by the way. =)
Sabrina
That porcupine is so cute. How cool that you got to pet it. I don’t even know that they’d let you 🙂
Camels & Chocolate
Whoa–how awesome. What does it feel like to pet a porcupine? I didn’t even know you could do such a thing!
Thismyhappiness
Looks super fun. I’ve only taken my son to one science museum, the CA Academy of Science in San Francisco. He would really enjoy a hands-on one like this one.
Lisa Goodmurphy
Thanks – it’s a great place for families!!
Lisa Goodmurphy
The kids LOVE it – time flies at Science North and they hate to leave!
Lisa Goodmurphy
It is definitely a fantastic way to spend the day and the kids find something new every time that they are there!
Lisa Goodmurphy
It is so much fun that the kids don’t even realize that it’s educational! 🙂 Quillan is definitely a cutie!
Lisa Goodmurphy
He is very cute and very tame – I certainly wouldn’t approach a porcupine in the wild. When we were kids we had a number of dogs that messed with porcupines and regretted it when they came home with a face full of quills!
Lisa Goodmurphy
This was my first time touching the porcupine and I was kind of surprised at how he felt – a bit like a bristly wire broom.
Lisa Goodmurphy
There is nothing like a great hands-on science museum for kids – they have so much fun that they don’t even realize how much they are learning!
Denise
I want to pet a porcupine!!! Actually, I want to pet all animals.
Lisa Goodmurphy
It was definitely a memorable experience!!