An upside-down world, an infinity tunnel, a musical raft and a skeleton on pedals are just some of the concepts involved in the State's first children's discovery museum, which opens its doors in Galway tomorrow.
Museum Feasa na n-Óg promises fun, education and interaction for visitors from birth to 12 years of age at its premises in Ballybrit. The €1 million capital development draws on the experience of 12 such museums across Europe and the US, including W5 in Belfast, Eureka in Britain and the Chicago Children's Museum.
"We asked them to identify their most popular exhibit, and we then adapted same for a west of Ireland context," said Dr Christine Domegan, director of the project. The museum benefited from a feasibility study and business plan developed by Mr Mark Kavanagh of Hardwicke's Ltd for a similar idea which was never realised at the International Financial Services Centre in Dublin.
Amid the din of saws, drills and chisels this past weekend, Dr Domegan explained that the Galway facility was a "work in progress" and a pilot for a more ambitious project planned for the city's east side in three years' time.
It focuses on three themes - "inside my body", which begins with a cycling skeleton and links into exhibits on physiology, biology and nutrition; "inside my head", where a grandmother's living room leads into a wacky zany world, complete with optical illusions and fluorescent lighting; and "inside my world", which deals with scaled-down "adult experiences".
These experiences range from a giant construction site to a cow, complete with milking parlour, a National Car Testing garage, and a bank installed with vault and security systems. The water-play area is focused on a model of the Shannon, formed from a cloudburst over mountains and complete with lakes and dams. The museum also has a soft play area, focusing on sensory experiences for children up to the age of five.
Young prospective visitors have already been involved in the fitting out: the "upside-down world", which nurtures lateral thinking and entrepreneurship skills, was designed by the students of Our Lady of Mercy Primary School in Sligo.
Students at Ballinasloe and Letterfrack national schools are expected to become involved in the design of the science laboratory, for which Dr Domegan hopes to get State support.
To date the project has depended on many benefactors, including FÁS; the Western Development Commission; Harrmack Developments Ltd in Galway; Galway City and County Councils, the Irish Youth Foundation and a range of other Galway businesses.
