H.R. Macmillan Space Centre, Vancouver

The Zeiss Jena star projector was first brought to Vancouver's H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in 1968 where it was later dubbed Harold the Star Projector. This projector is responsible for showing all the productions currently being shown at the Space Centre. CREDIT: Venture Vancouver, SOURCE: www.venturevancouver.com

The Planetarium Projector in the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre helps teach visitors about everything from the solar system to the native legends of the Vancouver region.

STATS

HOURS

RATES

Type:

Museum

Season:

All Seasons

Weather:

All Weather

Time:

3 hours

Cost:

What to bring:

Camera, Sense of Curiosity

The H.R. Macmillan Space Centre located on Vancouver's picturesque Vanier Park is a great rainy day (or any day) activity for everyone. Whether just enjoying the Space Centre, or choosing the option to enjoy the three activities in close proximity to each other in Vanier Park (the Vancouver Museum and Maritime Museum) for a combined price, there is much to explore and experience in this busy place. Visitors can watch a show in the planetarium, help astronauts connect to the space station or learn about gravity - there are dozens of activities to do. The experiences of the space centre do not end when the museum closes - the outdoor observatory also opens to the public, drawing crowds and amateur scientists. Outer space has long proved as the window to the imagination, a trait continued through the activities avaliable in the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre.

Located in Kitsilano's Vanier Park and utilizing half of this interestingly designed Centennial Museum building (the Vancouver Museum composes of the other half) the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre is an amazing array of technical, usable and fun equipment geared toward education children and adults alike about space and beyond.

Fact boards and computer simulated missions are a small part of the activities available in the lower level of the centre. Demonstrations on life in space occur in the theatre and the main attraction on the lower level, the Simulator which takes riders to space. The indoor planetarium on the second level is also a popular attraction with a spherical screen above the viewers with a variety of shows aimed as educating about the planets, galaxies and phenomenon in our solar systems and universe. The planetarium also offers laser shows aimed towards older crowds making the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre an all age's activity.

Outside is the Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory, equipped with a 1/2 metre Cassegrain telescope to take advantage of the shoreline location and clear skies. Telescope observing sessions occur Saturday evenings on clear nights. The Space Centre often organizes nightly talks and allows the public to look through the telescope.

The Space Centre was named for H.R. Macmillan, a native British Columbian industrialist and philanthropist and is a great indoor activity on those famous Vancouver rainy days and is a welcome place to explore all the fascinating technology housed in the building as well as getting to interact through the exhibits.