Magna Science Adventure Centre (Magna ( Science Adventure Centre))

Member Name: englishrose

Product:	Magna ( Science Adventure Centre)
Date:	26/02/09 (75 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Introduction to lots of science concepts but in a fun way

Disadvantages: Cold and Dark

Magna at Rotherham, near Sheffield, is a visitor attraction set inside a former steelworks.

The scale of the place is quite breathtaking: it's absolutely huge, and a lot of it is open-plan. The design and layout is excellent, as they have retained the original feel of the steelworks, then layered the modern 'visitor centre' design over that: There are multiple walkways around the place at all different levels, and the 4 main different zones are colour-coded:

Air, Earth, Fire and Water

The Air section contains a giant translucent airship, which you go inside and it's filled with scientific puzzles and interactive games.

The high point for us was the Fire section , An attraction called the Fire Tornado: Just stunning to look at, and also in the Fire section, there was a reproduction of an old Blacksmith's Forge where the Blacksmith would make you something to take home: We have a cast iron 'heart' shape as a souvenir.

Earth and Water are also filled with fun for the children - everything at Magna is hands-on, which is great because you don't have to spend all day saying 'stop it', 'don't touch that' and 'oh no, you will break it!' :)

At the back of the building, there remains an original steel forge: Once an hour, it cranks into life, complete with light show, and you can stand on a footbridge overlooking it and imagine how it once would have been: It's quite something, although younger or sensitive children might find it a bit scary , as it's very , very loud.

Magna is very geared towards school visits, and has an education area set aside for this. Also, because of it's proximity to the M1, it's suitable for school trips and visitors from all around the country, not just local people.

We have visited Magna as a family, and the children have also been there on a school trip, and parents and teachers alike have recommended it.

There is a brilliant adventure playground for children, across the road from the main building - it's easy to forget to use it, and only remember it when you come out at the end of the day! This is in two part, Sci-Tek and Aqua-Tek, and as the names suggest, one is a high-tech playground and the other is a playground where they get wet!

In the main entrance/exit area, there is a gift shop and cafe, and there is also a larger cafe elsewhere inside the building on another level. The food is the usual visitor attraction fare (chips, sandwiches, baked potatoes etc) and the prices are average, as they are in the gift shop.

Access for disabled visitors may be limited due to the nature of the building: Magna have adapted this as best they can, installing lifts and ramps where possible, but due to it being a converted steelworks inside a vast 'hangar' type building, there are a lot of stairs (and they are those open-back stairs too, which I don't much like!)

Also, it's very dark in there for some reason, so visibility is limited somewhat by that. The darkness does heighten some of the dramatic effect, which does add to the experience , but at the same time makes it harder to move around.

Prices are reasonable, at around £25.00 for a family ticket, although we got in using Tesco Deals vouchers - bonus points from me for anywhere that accepts them!

One more thing: take your coat, because it's really cold in there.

Summary: Bring your coat and have a great different day out at Magna