I’m visiting Toronto with my kids for a few weeks, and while we’re here we plan to check out as many of the great local attractions as we can. On Friday we had the pleasure of visiting the Ontario Science Centre and taking in all it has to offer, including the fantastic Harry Potter exhibition.
Nestled in the beautiful Don River Valley in the heart of the city of Toronto, you enter the Science Centre on level one and proceed downwards to level six, along escalators with windows out into the beautiful, tree-filled valley.
Shining in the sun is the Shoppers Drug Mart OMNIMAX Theatre, where you will be treated to IMAX films projected on a dome for a fully immersive cinema experience. We chose to see the incredible IMAX Hubble film, which was a mind-bogglingly beautiful collection of captivating images and inspiring storyline.
After our OMNIMAX experience, we ate a quick lunch in the cafeteria and then headed down to our 1:00 p.m. appointment for the Harry Potter Exhibition. We were thrilled to be called into the exhibit by a robe-wearing witch who sorted several volunteers into houses (my youngest daughter was put in Ravenclaw…we’re so proud!). Then we heard the whistle of the Hogwarts Express and proceeded into the self-directed part of the show. We were treated to authentic artifacts from all of the Harry Potter films to date, including costumes, props and recreations of some sets (such as Hagrid’s Hut and the Gryffindor Common Room). I was entranced by the costumes, although amazed at how short most of the actors must be if they actually fit the costumes we saw on display.
I don’t think the children were as impressed with the costumes as I was (I would have stood and stared at them for ages), but there were some interactive things for them to do as well, like pulling mandrakes in the Herbology classroom:
I know the Harry Potter exhibit was the highlight of our visit to the Science Centre, although everyone thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the afternoon as we browsed many of the other excellent exhibits on offer, including a very thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice, entitled The Truth. The Living Earth and Science Arcade could have kept us all busy for two days or more, and when we finally had to leave (due to a prior engagement), I know that nobody was really ready to go, and we felt like we’d only touched the tip of the iceberg of what this amazing Science Centre has to offer.
A few words of advice: admission to the Science Centre isn’t cheap at $18 per adult and $11 per child, and that doesn’t include OMNIMAX films ($12 and $8 for adults and kids respectively) or the Harry Potter Exhibition, which runs $27.50 for adults and $20 for kids (but that does include Scienc Centre admission). Also, the cafeteria food is good, but quite expensive. For two adults and four kids, our bill was nearly $50, so you may want to bring your own lunch (there are many areas to sit and eat and they do provide microwaves to heat up food you bring from home).
We were super-excited to be given free passes to the Science Centre (and other Toronto attractions) by the generous folks at Toronto Tourism, but in the end the passes were of no use to us as they covered only admission to the Science Centre and not the IMAX film or special Harry Potter Exhibition, which we definitely didn’t want to miss. And admission to the Harry Potter Exhibition includes Science Centre admission, so…
In any event, we loved our visit and felt it was worth the expense, and we are looking forward to getting out soon to enjoy some more of the attractions this fantastic city has to offer, like the Royal Ontario Museum, the Bata Shoe Museum, the CN Tower and more. I hear the Hockey Hall of Fame is a big deal, but I’m not sure I can sell my two girls (who are not hockey fans) on that one…we’ll see. In any event, stay tuned for more fun from the big city!
We took our kids to the Harry Potter Exhibition there a few weeks ago. Ah, heaven. I could have stayed in there all day 🙂 My favorite was standing in Hagrid’s Hut and listening to the crickets chirping. I could almost believe we were right outside the Forbidden Forest.
We were just there last week, too, and had a great time. It’s been a while since I’d been there so it was a treat to get back and see what the kids found. Suvi and I did the Harry Potter exhibit only (due to price and the boys being a little too young to enjoy) but we both loved it.
Glad you are exploring and enjoying your visit to Toronto! And make sure you get the kids to the ROM – that’s worth a definite trip.
Hey, seems like you are enjoying Toronto so far, that is great! I know I am slightly biased but it indeed is a fabulous city with lots of places to see. Be careful, though – as Toronto is quite tourist oriented, there are many restaurants or generally places especially for tourists, and they can be quite expensive. Nevertheless, have fun in the city!