Is it possible to imagine a museum dedicated to everything: Neanderthals and robots, the bowels of the Earth and the infinity of space, time and space, light and sound? The CosmoCaixa Science Museum in Barcelona does just that, and there's only one way to find out what's going on in its rooms: by exploring them yourself.
Children would significantly benefit from being able to try things out for themselves. Firstly, they will stop wrinkling their nose when they hear about electromagnetic induction or probability theory. Secondly, when they see how loud sound causes sandstorms, they will change their minds about listening to music at maximum volume.
The CosmoCaixa museum has several large sections. Halls of the "Geological Wall" tell about the structure of the Earth. To show the globe in the section, 90 tons of rocks were used. Here you can learn about the processes on the surface of the planet, about the movement of tectonic plates, and the causes of changes in the relief. The most impressive exhibit is a model of a volcanic eruption. A visit to the 3D Planetarium will complement knowledge about the Universe. In the children's planetarium "Bubble", kids play with the planets, like with balls.
The Rainforest Hall replicates the Amazonian jungle ecosystem on 1,000 square metres. Parrots hide from the tropical downpour amongst the dense greenery, but the capybaras don't mind the rain. In this room, you'll find mangrove trees with airy roots and snakes that can be mistaken for vines.
CosmoCaixa's "Hall of Matter" is full of experiment equipment. By triggering pendulums or observing the emergence of plasma, children will be amazed at how animate inanimate matter can be. The laws of optics and acoustics are demonstrated, the properties of waves and radiation are explained, and various physical phenomena are discussed.
There are also many exciting exhibits devoted to living matter. Some items can only be seen through a microscope, while others occupy huge display cabinets. An exhibition about the emergence of man and human civilisation is especially interesting. Almost every photograph features wax figures depicting intelligent human beings' ancestors. Equally impressive is when you can go from a cave painting to a robot drawing your portrait in the sand in a few minutes.
Cosmocaixa's unique experimental rooms, "Snap and Flash", are designed for children aged 3 to 9. Here, they teach how to make sun bunnies and allow you to make a storm in the bathtub.
The "Touch" room may seem like the scariest room — it introduces the inhabitants of rainforests, deserts and the seabed. And if children are afraid of snakes or furry spiders, you'd rather watch chickens hatch from eggs in an incubator with them. The Science Square is in front of the museum building, where you can do some interesting experiments.
A visit to the Science Museum of Barcelona will take a few hours.
