WIRRAL visitor attraction Eureka! Science + Discovery has marked its first birthday by welcoming its 100,000th visitor.
To celebrate the one year milestone, the children and young people who helped co-create the attraction through their schools, The Hive youth zone, plus Seacombe Children’s centre and other local service providers, will be invited back to ensure they can see what they helped to create.
In the past twelve months, the centre has welcomed visitors from all over the UK and overseas, with 11% coming from outside of the region.
The centre and museum officially opened in November 2022 and is designed for children and young people up to the age of 14 to discover how Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) influence their lives.
Open six days a week, the centre has interactive displays and exhibits, including a 12ft cat complete with swishing tail and a climbing tree. It features hands-on learning experiences and special zones helping children discover different topics, including Bodies, Homes, Nature and Make Create. Alongside this a programme of events, including workshops, shows and talks, help children to learn creatively.
Eureka! Science + Discovery has also worked in partnership with local community organisations to welcome families in for free, or to offer subsidised tickets. These include the popular Universal Credit ticket, which was available for entire families to enter for just £1 per person throughout the Christmas season in 2022, and resulted in around 2,000 families visiting Eureka! Science + Discovery.
The annual pass, enabling visitors to have unlimited access to our centres for a full 12 month period for the same price as a couple of cinema tickets, has made a visit to Eureka! affordable for those who may not be able to spend money for family days out very often.
Leigh-Anne Stradeski, chief executive of Eureka! said: “It has been inspiring to see the whole of the Liverpool city region take Eureka! Science + Discovery into their hearts.
"This is the first expansion of the brand anywhere else in the UK and is testament to the ambition of Wirral and Liverpool City Region that together we were able to make it happen here at Seacombe Terminal.
"Eureka! plays a key role in helping children explore their own potential through the creative power of learning and discovery. It has been so rewarding to see the impact and appeal of Eureka! Science + Discovery on children of all ages, as well as the grown ups who visit with them.”
Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paul Stuart, said: “We’re proud that a world-class attraction like Eureka can be part of our ambitious regeneration programme to transform the Left Bank of the Mersey.
"Not only has it created many jobs and helped boost our local economy, but it’s a wonderful place for children from Wirral and beyond to learn about science, technology, education, arts and maths in an engaging, exciting way”.
Liverpool City Region Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Business, Cllr Mike Wharton, said: “We are delighted to see so many families drawn to Eureka! Science + Discovery, which is not only boosting the economy by attracting visitors to the city region but is also offering children a fun and exciting way to learn more about science, technology, engineering, arts and maths.
“This ties in perfectly with our aims to develop the next generation of scientists, innovators and creators and to ensure that young people have the skills to succeed in tomorrow’s workplace.”
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