Magna Science Museum (Sheffield)

...in the interactive stuff? Well Magna is one of those places.

Magna opened in April 2001 and is based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Its easy to get to from the M1 motorway. Just take Junction 33 if you are travelling from the south or Junction 34 if you are travelling from the north. Just follow the signs "Magna" through to Templeborough where one of the biggest steel works which produced most of the steel for England and ...
...to have an annual pass, Magna will take the amount off what you paid already from the annual ticket price. Which I feel is excellent. I've never known a place to do something like that. I'm off down there again after the half term to get a annual ticket for my daughter and myself, as we all enjoyed it so much.

So whats at Magna that is so great. Magna was a Millennium project and after two years of intense planning, Rotherham council ... more

Have you ever been to an educational centre for children and really enjoyed yourself? Have you come away with some useful information which you had never known before? Did you ever go to an educational centre and your kids got bored because you wouldn't let them have a go in the interactive stuff? Well Magna is one of those places.

Magna opened in April 2001 and is based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Its easy to get to from the M1 motorway. Just take Junction 33 if you are travelling from the south or Junction 34 if you are travelling from the north. Just follow the signs "Magna" through to Templeborough where one of the biggest steel works which produced most of the steel for England and the most productive steel works in the world.. If you are travelling by train, you get of at either Sheffield or Rotherham station and you can either get a Taxi, or catch the 69 bus which runs from Rotherham to Sheffield every 15 mins.

I was lucky enough to get there by coach organised by our local Women's group but as I live in Rotherham, its 20 mins away from me by car. As our co-ordinator arranged this visit with our local college ( Dearne Valley) as part of the Adults Learning Week, we didn't have to pay to get in but although the prices might seem a little steep, its worth very worth while.

Adults .....£5.99 Individual or £10.99 for a annual pass

Child (over 4 yrs) ...£4.50 Individual or £7.99 for a annual pass

Family ...£17.99 Individual or £32.99 for an annual pass ( 2 adults and upto 3 children )

Tour organisers or teachers ..free

I can promise you, if you go you'll need a full day there, and you can always go there more than once and still find something new. Even if you by an individual pass and decide on that day you would like to have an annual pass, Magna will take the amount off what you paid already from the annual ticket price. Which I feel is excellent. I've never known a place to do something like that. I'm off down there again after the half term to get a annual ticket for my daughter and myself, as we all enjoyed it so much.

So whats at Magna that is so great. Magna was a Millennium project and after two years of intense planning, Rotherham council was ready to roll. Templeborough Steel works have been empty since the early 1980s, but after 20 years it is now one of the best attractions in the north of England. Within Magna there are 4 pavilions named after the 4 elements, Air, Earth, Fire and Water.

Within these pavilions are the best interactive exhibits which will have your mind bulging with glee. With this they have still kept most of the steel works intact so you can have a look around the first part called The Big Melt.

The Big Melt is a light and sound show which occurs on the hour to tell you the history of the Templeborough Steel Works. With brilliant effects you can really feel what it was like to work in, what must seem like, the hardest work in the world. Of course they could never actually turn on the arc furnaces but they do project special effects on all the equipment, will explaining what happens to make molten steel. These special effects consist of a light show, and a running commentary on what happened, how steel was made, and other very interesting facts about the steel industry. These shows are repeated throughtout the day, every hour, on the hour. So if you miss one show, you can always catch another

THE FIRE PAVILION

How can you control a fire and make it into a Tormado? How do you shape steel? Why does the Lava in Lava lamps float and sink? How long does steel last and how strong is it? All will be revealed in the Fire Pavilion. This section of the Magna centre deals with electricity, fire and how we get steel from the mines.

The central attraction is the Fire Tornado. Jess wasn't too keen on this, but after I persuaded her with sweets, we watched as a small flame licked at the base of the attraction. Basically there is a small pad at the base soaked in kerosene. There is a electric spark which lights and the pad sets a light making a small fire. There is a set of fans overhead which causes a movement of air similar to a tornado. This effect is spectacular. You are about 15 feet away and separated by a barrier, but you can still feel the heat coming off the fire. This was just amazing to watch and its set off through a timer every 15 mins.

Also in this pavilion there are smaller exhibits like electro magnetic cranes which you can use to pick up and drop used cans, a simulation of the power of electric arc furnace, melting steel with high voltage electricity.There is even a small talk by a Magna collegue, who talks you through where the metal came from to make steel,and how you can bend and shape it into anything you wish.

This was the first section we visited and I was very impressed. There is loads to do and so much information you can pick up. Although Jess was only 3 yrs old, she was still full of questions and had ago at the electro magnetic cranes and saw how the mini workshop by a member of Magna melted steel, and twisted it into funny shapes.

AIR PAVILION

What does it feel to fly like a bird? How are clouds formed? How Does a Dyson Hoover work? What is air and how is it useful to us? We all need air to breathe but we never see it in its true form, just the effects. Here in the Air section, which is set up in an air ship, you can have a go on exhibits which allow you to see what its like to fly like a bird. You can also see a 5 metre tornado made from a mist of smoke. This is not as amazing as the Fire one but its still fascinating to watch. They also have a rather cool exhibit where you walk across a simulated bridge while watching a projection infront of you. This projection is a steel bridge swaying in very high winds. If you enjoy being drunk and wobbling about then this is for you. Its a bit scary really, just knowing that the forces of nature can tear down a bridge like that.

Then there is the air that everyone is embarrassed about, yes its the bodily functions of passing wind..top and bottom end. This exhibit consists of trumpets that have a rubber ball at that end. If you squeeze each one, you hear a particular noise and an explanation on what the noise was and why the body makes such a noise. Jess found this very funny but Ill let you guess which ones she giggled at the most.

With the effects of lighting and sounds this section was fascinating. Thunder rumbling about as storm clouds moved about. Both Jess and my other daughter Lucy was fascinated by everything they saw. Lucy who's is nearly a year was supposed to be taking a nap, but was too nosy to go to sleep, she proceeded to giggle her little head off at Jess who was making music by making the wind pipes play a tune.

EARTH PAVILION

Why were children used in the mines? Whats is like to operate a JCB jigger? What are pulley's and how do they work? Why are cogs so important ?

This section is for the children or adults who can get to grips with mechanism most quickly. There is a sand pit with toy trucks and diggers in which children can play with. A real sized JCB, in which you can sit an operate and trying to pour as much rock into the baskets at the side. Numerous exhibits explaining about pulley's, cogs and why they are so important in the pits. There is even a "Rest hut", in which younger children can play with small scale toys, books and hear stories of the best builder in town ..Yes its Bob the builder.

We didn't stay in this section very long. All Jess wanted to do was have a go on the JCB and then go into the Rest hut to play. She needed a well earned rest but I think she wasn't a building type. I had fun pulling all the levers and guessing which combination of cogs and pulley's worked. To be young again......eh?

WATER PAVILION

How much water do you use a day? What is the cycle of water? How do you make waves?
This was the last section we visited but definitely the best. As you can guess this section has to do with water and you can get wet, so take a change of tops or trousers with you if you can...just in case. There is lots of fun stuff here to do and as you can guess, we spent ages in this section. There is a water shoot out where you can hit targets with a water piston. Jess loved this but thankfully the water piston was fixed and only rotated to one end of the target range to the other. Or otherwise we all would of been drenched.

Also there was an interesting model of the water cycle, where there was a sprinkle of water like rain from the clouds, which fell onto mountains, made rivers and ran down to the sea. Then because of evaporation went upto the atmosphere to produce clouds. This was good for Jess and we sat for about 10 mins explaining about rain, water and answering questions. At this age of 3 and up, children are like sponges. The other thing which Jess found intriguing was a large circular turning beach with taps which let out water, fast or slow. This exhibit represented how a beach moves with different tides and how you can get stream form where water runs back from the sea at low tide. Saying that she was more into messing with the sand and stones than the water..bless her.

I had a go at " How much water do you use". This exhibit asks you numerous questions about how many showers, baths, cup of teas, flushes of toilets and other water consuming occupations we have and then fills up a gigantic tub next to you telling you how much water in litres you have used so far that day. Well I was shocked considering I only had one cuppa, a few visits to the toilet and a I had used enough water to fill a bath!

I think both my daughters and myself enjoyed this section the most, mainly because its always fun playing with water. Just make sure you are prepared to get just a little wet so it might be a good idea just to take a spare change of trousers and top...just incase.

What else is at Magna?

Well if you think you have had enough of the education and you just want your kids to go and play..try the outside playground, its out of this world.

We only had a limited time at Magna which was from 10 am till 1 pm, so we didn't have very long on the playground at all. I can say its one of the most impressive playground I have ever seen. It has a under 5 section and an over 5 section, all with soft landing tarmac. You have climbing frames built in shapes of spaceships, swings, slides, a skip pad, you can even experience the sensation of skating and surfing!

This is brilliant as you can pay £1 and take them here or you can go into Magna and its included in the price. This means you can take them at any stage of your day out and believe me it will be a fantastic day out. Its a great way for them to have a break, and get rid of that energy in a safe but exciting environment.

Under 5s play area

This soft play area which is situated in the main reception area of magna again is a great idea. It doesn't matter how good a place is, some children do need a break. You can take them into this soft play area which has climbing frames, things to do, and a ball pool. You can have 10 mins well earned rest before setting off on your exploration into the Magna centre again.

Gift shop

The Magna store is open plane so you can have a wonder in and have a look. It sells books, toys, CD roms,as well as stainless steel home wear and gifts. All the books and CD roms are educational, and explore in even more detail about our earth.

Restaurant

The O2 is the only inflatable restaurant in the UK which sell cooked meals, snacks and drinks. Unfortunately I never had time to have a look but from the outside it looks very impressive.

Private hire

After reading that you can hold childrens parties hire, I have an idea for Jess's 4th birthday party. You can hire one of the 4 pavilion for childrens parties, corporate events, dinners or parties. Just call 01709 720002 or ask for an information pack. I have a leaflet about the children parties an for £6.99 you get Unlimited play in Magna Adventure Centre, Games and activities with a member of Magna crew, Unlimited play on the outdoor playground area, a party lunch or tea and finally a goody bag for each child.

I would seriously consider this as a good way of entertaining a party of children. The average party at home costs well over £70 if you by food, prizes for games, maybe hire a video. So having a party at Magna is a great idea for children over 4.

General Accessibility.

If you have a young child still in a pushchair or a person in a wheel chair you can still go to Magna and still have a brilliant time. My youngest is in a pushchair and I found it easy to get around. They have one lift upto the main level and then 4 separate lifts taking you to anywhere you need to go. You can even hire a pushchair FREE from reception if you find that its too much walking for your toddler or young child. There are toilet facilities on all levels, disabled toilets have baby changing tables too.

So can you guess who had more fun today? This really is a brilliant day out for all the family. Like Ive stated at the beginning of this opinion I'm off down there in a few weeks to get annual pass. Even if you go three times within that year its still cheaper than buying individual passes.

Magna is open every day from 10 am till 5 pm and only close on Christmas day and boxing day. Just be warmed try and go when the kids are at school. Apparently that the weekends and school holidays are very busy from what I heard from the last school holidays.

Still, whenever you go, just get there and I promise you wont be disappointed. And bet you you'll have a better time then your children :-)

If you want to know more about Magna visit
www.magnatrust.org.uk
 

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