What's New At Pacific Science Center

Mix Some Danger With Your Summer Science

2008-07-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Why not spice up your summer with a little danger? Danger and science? We have both at Pacific Science Center! First, take a leisurely bicycle ride, then get a lesson on the science of blowing things up! →Learn More

Ledger's 'Joker' A Possible Oscar Winner?

2008-07-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

There's plenty to talk about when discussing the summer's biggest blockbuster. The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience features some of the best IMAX cinematography ever, some of the best special effects. And now there's talk of a possible Oscar for the late Heath Ledger whose stunning portrayal of The Joker is one of the film's most notable features. Read more about it in this →New York Post article. And with some shows already selling out, get your →tickets now!

Clearing The Air Over Famous Fossil

2008-07-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Our exhibit technicians and artists are hard at work preparing for Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures Of Ethiopia that opens in October. So is our Facilities staff. They are busy installing a sophisticated new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system required to bring this spectacular exhibit here. It's been fascinating to watch this work and we've prepared an →article so you can learn more about it. And take note: tickets for this exhibit are →now on sale. We expect this to be one of our most popular exhibitions ever, so we encourage you to make your plans now.

Grand Opening Set For Environmental Ed. Center

2008-07-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

The date has been set! This October, Pacific Science Center and the City of Bellevue Department of Parks & Community Services will host a grand opening celebration for an incredible new Environmental Education Center at Bellevue's Mercer Slough. As many as 40,000 children and families will explore and discover the science of the natural world each year once the entire expansion project is complete. So, mark your calendar for October 11 and the following week to come experience this great new resource. →Learn More

Science + Fireworks = Family Fun!

2008-07-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Fireworks aren't the only thrills this weekend! Pacific Science Center will be at the Symetra Bellevue Family 4th this Friday at the Bellevue Downtown Park. We will have interactive exhibits and exciting demonstrations for the whole family. Come say hello, and learn what's going on this summer at Pacific Science Center. What will you discover?! →Learn More

Calendar Of Science

2008-07-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

July is here and that means warm weather...and discovery! This month we celebrate the first internal combustion engine, three laws that bind us all to this planet, and the opening of the first zoo. Science sizzles in July's →Calendar Of Science!

AstroInfo: Seattle Stargazing!

2008-06-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

Now that summer has really arrived in the Northwest, we have a new edition of AstroInfo. This one is all about stargazing in Seattle. Great tips from Planetarium Specialist Alice Enevoldsen. →Learn More

Is A 'Staycation' In Your Plans This Summer?

2008-06-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

If so, you're not alone. With the price of gas and rising travel costs hitting everyone, many of us are looking at summer vacations closer to to home. To more and more of us, vacations are being replaced by 'staycations.' Fortunately, the Pacific Northwest is loaded with great things to see and do! Just around Seattle Center you can enjoy Pacific Science Center, the Children's Museum, Experience Music Project/Sci-Fi Museum, the Space Needle, Children's Theater, the Fun Forest, and much more. Of course there's even more to see around Seattle, including Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Burke Museum, Seattle Art Museum, and many, many more. In Tacoma there's Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, State History Museum, Museum of Glass, and on and on. To save even more money, explore the →Go Seattle Card and →City Pass. While it may be tougher to go explore far off locations, there's plenty to do right here!

PacSci-Doku: Natural Filter

2008-06-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Our newest science word puzzle is out and it's all about filtering water. Here's a hint: we're not talking about something you screw onto your faucet. Can you solve the 'Natural Filter' edition of →PacSci-Doku?

'Lucy' Tickets On Sale July 1

2008-06-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Pacific Science Center members may now purchase tickets to our next big exhibit, Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures Of Ethiopia that opens in October. And starting July 1, so can everyone else. This promises to be one of the most popular exhibits we've ever presented, so make your plans now. →Learn More

'Dark Knight' Tickets On Sale Now!

2008-06-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

It promises to be the blockbuster of the summer of 2008. Be sure you see The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience on the biggest screen in town! Get your →tickets now!

Science On Tap: Merging Robotics & Neuroscience

2008-06-26T11:14:00.000-07:00

Our next Science On Tap sounds like something right out of a sci-fi story, but it's very real. And fascinating. Come meet and speak with a UW scientist who took her love of tennis and robotics and created a robotic tennis player. She is now on the leading edge in the field of neurorobotics, applying it to help the disabled. If you have a thirst for science, then join us at T.S. McHugh's Irish Pub & Restaurant on Lower Queen Anne Tuesday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m. We promise you won't be disappointed. →Learn More

Lucy's Legacy: A New HVAC System

2008-06-24T12:33:00.001-07:00

Lucy's Legacy: A New HVAC System
Originally uploaded by pacsci

As part of our exciting Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia opening fall of 2008, we are installing a new HVAC system. For those not familiar with Pacific Science Center's origins, we began life during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. Our building was never designed to house something as fragile as the world's most famous fossil, so we're upgrading. The new system is awesome! If you're into this sort of thing, you'll know how exciting it is to be able to control the indoor climate to such an extent. This also opens the door for other such exhibits in the future.

Science As Agent Of Change

2008-06-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

"We commit to work together to overcome cultural, physical, social, economic and geographic barriers to engage and connect people through science." Pacific Science Center President and CEO Bryce Seidl and his counterparts at science museums around the planet met in Ontario this past week. They have signed The Toronto Declaration, committing to bringing science to everyone. →Learn More

AstroInfo: The Podcast

2008-06-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

Our Planetarium Specialist and →AstroInfo writer, Alice Enevoldsen has been building her online repository of astronomical information. She's started a blog where you can keep up with her musings of this woman with her head firmly in the stars. Now, you can add her Podcast to your iPod or other MP3 player, or simply listen to them on your computer. When it comes to planets, moons, comets, asteroids, etc. Alice knows her stuff. →Check it out!

Nature Explore Workshop For Educators

2008-06-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation invite all educators to a two-part Nature Explore Workshop that takes place at Lewis Creek in Bellevue, Washington on June 28, 2008. They offer Learning With Nature and Using Your Outdoor Classroom/Creating Nurturing Environments. The workshop will be available on a first come, first served basis. Learn more about these exciting sessions at →ArborDay.org. To register, simply download the →registration form and mail it in. The Nature Explore workshop is a great opportunity to explore ways to connect children to the natural world.

Two Great Films Open

2008-06-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Two great IMAX films are back! The Eruption of Mount St. Helens is the definitive film on the May 18, 1980 cataclysm that rocked the Northwest. And Beavers, dubbed The Biggest Dam Movie You Ever Saw, takes you inside an actual beaver dam and explores the lives of these wonderful creatures. It's also the best IMAX film for youngsters. If a child in your life has never seen an IMAX film, this one is perfect for them. Check our →schedule for show times.

Members: Paper-less Passes, Free 'Panda' Passes!

2008-06-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

Pacific Science Center's Membership Office is pleased to announce that we are now tracking all guest passes and IMAX film passes electronically. This means if you don’t have your paper passes with you when you visit, you can still receive your free tickets! Any time you visit Pacific Science Center and want to see an IMAX film or bring in a guest, just present your permanent membership card to a cashier. They can also let you know how many passes you have left. And beginning July 1 we will be completely paperless, so if you have any passes from past memberships, feel free to bring them into the Membership Office in Building One to get them loaded into your account.

Free Kung Fu Panda Passes For Members
Remember, purchase or renew a membership onsite at Pacific Science Center during the month of June and receive two free Kung Fu Panda: The IMAX Experience film passes, valued at over $20! Our members always receive discounts on feature IMAX films, and Platinum and Titanium level members receive six free passes to every feature IMAX film! →Learn More

Magic Ticket = Summer Fun + Discovery!

2008-06-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Pacific Science Center is now on summer hours! We're open daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. To help celebrate the season we're offering a summer admission rate. Until Sept. 1 enjoy one of our many IMAX films or a laser show with your price of admission; $15 for adults, $13.50 for seniors, $12 for juniors, $10 for kids. These prices include exhibits and a regular IMAX film or a laser show. Special engagement IMAX films will be additional. That means an entire world of new experiences and discoveries for you and your family is less than a tank of gas away.

With a breathtaking →Tropical Butterfly House full of dozens of exotic species, giant moving robotic dinosaurs, powerful water cannons, an interactive tide pool, and so much more, new adventures await you around every corner. And until September 1, you can experience the exhilarating science of things that move fast in our →Speed exhibit. With hundreds of engaging and fun ways to spend your day, a ticket to Pacific Science Center is truly a MAGIC TICKET. This summer, with gas prices at an all-time high, why not discover the world of possibilities closer to home at Pacific Science Center where there's always something new to discover! →Learn More

PacSci-Doku: Stinging Tree

2008-06-12T10:18:00.001-07:00

Our latest bi-weekly science word puzzle is a prickly affair. Almost painful, unless you're familiar with unusual flora and fauna. Can you decipher the perplexing 'Stinging Tree' edition of →PacSci-Doku!?

AstroInfo: Ugly Ducklings

2008-06-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

Planetarium Specialist Alice Enevoldsen recently had a bit of an epiphany when it comes to Uranus and Neptune. In her latest AstroInfo installment, Alice delves into the two huge planets and comes away with a better understanding of our neighbors way out there. Read on and share in her latest astronomical discovery! →Learn More

Call For Images: Speed On Flickr

2008-06-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here at Pacific Science Center we love viewing the thousands and thousands of online images taken at our favorite educational institution. From family snapshots to artsy portraits, we enjoy seeing them all. So, we decided to start a group on →Flickr and ask our many shutterbug fans to share their images from our newest exhibit, →Speed. If you're a Flickr fan and enjoy shooting under the arches near the Space Needle, upload some to our group and we'll share some in the coming weeks and months. →Learn More

It's All About Dad This Weekend

2008-06-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is this Sunday, but we're devoting two days of discovery for the Dad in your life. Hydroplanes, NASCAR, our new exhibit, Speed, plenty of food, and lots of surprises. And every Dad gets in free with a paid adult or child regular exhibit admission. Join us for Dad's Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, June 14-15. →Learn More

Get Your Hands Dirty For A Great Cause

2008-06-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Join volunteers from all over the Puget Sound area for a massive planting effort at the site of the new Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center! This Saturday, June 14 at 9 a.m. volunteers will be planting native vegetation on the site of the Education Center and in some of the environmentally sensitive design features, including "bio-swales" designed to minimize runoff and manage stormwater. All tools for this project will be provided by the Bellevue Parks Department, and REI will provide snacks, drinks, and nifty "Get Dirty" tech tees for each volunteer. Interested? You should RSVP with Bob Schafer, Bellevue Parks and Community Services, at (425)452-7225 or rschafer@bellevuewa.gov. Directions: From I-405, take SE 8th Street exit, turn west. Turn left on 118th. Environmental Education Center and Bellefields Trailhead are on right before crossing under I-90.

Science With A Twist: Thirst for Speed!

2008-06-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Our next 21+ event comes up Thursday, June 19 and we promise one fast evening! It's all about our new exhibit, →Speed where you can test your skill at a ski simulator and race drag cars all while enjoying a beer, wine or our featured cocktail, the Turbocharger. Listen to an expert presentation on the physics of speed and then finish the evening with a private screening of the IMAX film Super Speedway: Racing with the Andretti's! →Learn More