Get excited about the world around you! Dinosaurs, heavy machinery, discharge bulbs, model vehicles, specimens from the natural world and a planetarium are waiting for you when you are faced with a free day and the desire for educational fun.
Two kilometers from both the Iyo-Saijo Interchange and Route 11 in Niihama is a cluster of geometrically-shaped structures that comprise the Ehime Prefectural Science Museum. The first floor houses a bright entrance hall, the project exhibition room featuring temporary displays, a multipurpose hall, a simple cafeteria, a modest gift shop, an outdoor exhibition, and the planetarium which until recently was the world’s largest.
Pay for your tickets at the counter to the left upon entering. The fee for the museum is 500 yen for adults and children are admitted free, while there are additional charges for the planetarium. Special rates for senior citizens and groups are also available.
To begin your tour at the beginning of time, start on the fourth floor in the Cosmic Zone. Scientific models of the world from the past are on display and remind us that our world and the way we understand it are changing. Approaching the Earth Zone, you may be surprised to hear primeval bellowing from animatronic dinosaurs. Standing in front of one as it blinks, wags its neck and roars is unsettling and awakens primitive anxieties that make this one of the most popular displays.
The third floor holds the Scientific Technology and Industrial Hall in which is an impressive exhibit of traditional and key industries in Ehime that will also appeal to history lovers. In another section, stimulating scientific presentations are held on Fridays, weekends, national holidays, and the Golden Week and Obon holidays. The Life, Element, Motive Energy, and Transmission Zones on this floor are configured and presented in an attractive fashion giving a power surge to the already exciting visit.
Items on display are explained in Japanese and labeled with English titles, and English pamphlets are provided upon request.
Be sure to check the museum’s annual calendar on their webpage as there are exceptions to the regular Monday holidays.
Name in Japanese
愛媛県総合科学博物館 — ehimeken sōgō kagaku hakubutsukan — Ehime Prefectural Science Museum
