Quote: Science East is a family hands on science centre. There is something there for everyone, from the 1 year old up.

It is in a building that used to be the home of the Fredericton Provincial Jail. They did a great job of showing this off by leaving the bars on the windows and using cell doors on the entrances to various rooms (most notably the main floor bathrooms).

In the basement there is a dungeon. Unfortunately, we did not get to see it, we ran out of time. On the main floor there were several interesting exhibits. There were live bugs in one room. Another room had lots of optical illusions. A darkened room was home to a Jacob’s Ladder.

The kids loved the tug-of-war. It was set up so that there were pullys to help one team and hinder the other team. Great fun for the little ones to beat the big ones.

Another cool thing was the inside of a piano. It is something common, but not something kids are usually allowed to touch (or even see). It was fun to play a song touching the strings instead of the keys.

On the second floor there were exhibits about recycling, conservation, etc. There was an interesting pump where you pump the water up to a container at the ceiling. When the box is full you release the water and it powers a light bulb. There was an example of a hand crank powering a light bulb.

Outside, in the yard, there were more science type things to do. There were whisper tubes, hand pumps to try. There was also a really neat pirate ship with a cutlass and a sundial to try out. There was a giant chess board. A balance beam. It was definitely our favourite spot. We were sad that we didn't realize how cool it was much sooner. We didn't head out until about 5 minutes before closing, which was not nearly long enough to enjoy the playground and stuff.

They are open Monday-Friday 10-5 and Saturday 12-5. They were closed on Canada Day. Admission is $5 for an Adult, $3 for a Student/Senior/Child, $14 for a Family. Science East members and member of science centers with reciprocal arrangements (hundreds of science centres in North America belong) are free. A family membership at Science East is $50, but prices at different science centres are different.

There is no elevator. There is a set of stairs to get in and stairs on the inside. It’s an old building with a weird layout. Many of the doors are small so it was a bit hard to get around with the stroller. The good thing was that there are lots of places for the 1-year-old to get out of the stroller and explore things, but the outside area was his favourite for sure.

For more information, their website is: www.scienceeast.nb.ca or phone: (506) 457-2340
From journals Canada Day in Fredericton