The Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre will be catering to a bit of a different crowd this Saturday evening.
19+ Way Late Play Date will give adults a chance to indulge their inner child.
“We will have all of our usual exhibits up and running and our staff on hand but this time around, instead of having 8 year olds showing you up because they know more about dinosaurs than you do, you can spend some time exploring what we have to offer and you can do it with a cocktail in your hand and a live DJ in the Children’s Gallery,” says CEO Tracy Calogheros.
The new feature was inspired by a visit to Vancouver’s Science World here she attended similar event, mostly attended by adults in their 20s to 40s.
“What I kept hearing, over and over again, they didn’t really ever feel that the science centre was for them – that it was intended for families with young children. But once they got in there and started playing with the exhibits and experimenting themselves, they realized, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of things to have fun with as adults as well.’”
The event will feature a DJ, cocktails and snacks courtesy of the Oak Room Grill. Attendees will also get to try their hand at the museum’s newest exhibit – Keva Blocks.
“They’re essentially squared off, oversize tongue depressors. They’re intended as building blocks. The neat thing about this program is that you can interact with it at whatever level. A preschooler can build a few blocks, knock ‘em over and have fun and we have engineers that come in and build huge elaborate structures.”
She hopes to eventually be hosting the event about four times a year.
Advance tickets are $20. Calogheros says they’ve been going fast but there may be some available at the door for $25 apiece.
Way Late Play Date starts at 7 pm tomorrow evening.