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Planning for the centre started in s and Escalators , follows the natural contours of the Don River ravine, into which the Centre descends. Construction started in 1966 with plans to make it a part of the city's 1967 Canadian Centennial celebrations. It was officially named the ''Centennial Centre of Science and Technology''. However construction was not complete in 1967 , and the OSC did not open to the public until two years later, in September of 1969 . At the time the OSC was famous around the world for its "hands on" approach to science, which was later duplicated in San Francisco 's Exploratorium and Detroit 's Museum of Science and Technology. Unlike the traditional museum where the exhibits are there to be looked at, the majority of the exhibits at the OSC were interactive, while many others were live demonstrations (metalworking for instance). Its Communications room was particularly well-loved, containing a number of computerized displays, including a very popular Tic-tac-toe game run on a PDP-11 . The centre was a huge attraction in the 1970 s, but by the early 1980 s visiting rates had dropped considerably. Most of the displays were the originals, and were now either outdated, worn out, or in some case broken. During the 1990 s these issues were addressed by opening the OSC to corporate funding. In 1996 the province's first OMNIMAX theatre opened in an expanded entranceway area, and additional changes soon followed. The most recent of these changes is the $40 million Agents Of Change Project , the final phase of which opened in June 2006. There are interactive and passive exhibits throughout the buildings. They feature everything in Science and Nature . They feature Geology , the science of Nature (in the west wing), Astronomical science, how to play Music and Technology in the south wing, some artifacts of science. The OSC has a main area just in from the entranceway that is often used to demonstrate traveling shows, which sometimes spill out into the adjacent outdoor areas. Well known shows from the past include a computer art exhibit, one on the science of sport, and a popular show on history of technology in China. Recently, s, slices of Body parts, and even entire bodies, and has proved to be immensely popular. Additionally, there was the Marvel Comics exhibition during the winter of 2006-2007. There is a new exhibit opening on June 2 , 2007 on the Titanic to January 6 , 2008 . The Ontario Science Center Science School (OSCSS) offers credited grade 12 University Preparation courses in Physics , Biology , Chemistry and Calculus . Students from all over Ontario apply and are selected to spend a semester at the OSCSS. The OSCSS offers enriched learning in small and informal classes of no more than 25 students. While at the Science Center, students earn practicum hours through volunteering and interacting with the visitors. They also get a unique chance to participate in the Mentorship Program, aimed at educating the students about the various jobs and career paths available. ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE AQUATIC PLAY FOUNTAIN |
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