After lengthy coronavirus closure, Imagination Station reopens with brand-new theater
May 27—There have been false starts. After closing early in the pandemic, Imagination Station planned to reopen on Nov. 20. A surge in coronavirus cases, however, set plans back. Now, at long last, the downtown Toledo science museum will officially reopen on Friday.
"We are excited to deliver in-person science education in a safe and careful way to our community once again," said Lori Hauser, Imagination Station's chief executive officer. "We worked hard during our closure to not only complete construction but also to reimagine programs to meet the changing needs of our community."
Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The facility also will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 31 for Memorial Day.
IF YOU GO:
What: Imagination Station
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; Imagination Station is also open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Day.
Where: 1 Discovery Way
Admission: $14 for adults, $13 for seniors ages 65 and older, $12 for children ages 3 to 12; theater admission is sold separately or in combination tickets.
Information: imaginationstationtoledo.org
Operations will resume under the usual coronavirus health guidelines, such as social distancing and masks for all unvaccinated visitors. Additional safety measures include hand-sanitizing stations and an HVAC system that uses ultraviolet light to kill and eliminate germs, viruses and bacteria.
To ensure total compliance with coronavirus health protocols, attractions that don't allow for social distancing will remain closed, including the High Wire Cycle, Distorted Gravity Room and Hurricane Chamber.
Visitors will find that a few things have changed since the museum's pre-pandemic days, from a revamped concourse to new gift shop and Barry Bagels locations featuring expanded seating. The most notable change, though, comes in the form of an entirely new attraction.
"The biggest thing [visitors] can expect to see is the KeyBank Discovery Theater," said Amy Mohr, the museum's marketing director.
The 8,200-square foot theater has a 58-foot-wide screen and a 4K digital laser projection system with 3D capability. The $12 million project was mostly funded through private donations, with $2 million from its naming sponsor KeyBank.
Construction on the theater began in 2019, and its completion was commemorated last November with an unorthodox ribbon-cutting ceremony filled with blowtorches, sparklers, and hydrogen-filled balloons.
"It's a spectacular setting," said David Waterman, chairman of the Imagination Station board of directors, at the time, "and I just think it's going to be tremendously received by the residents of Lucas County."
The theater will screen educational films on various topics as well as live feeds from space centers, other science facilities, and major national and international events. Additional programming will include guest lectures, video gaming tournaments, movie marathons, and seasonal family movie nights.
The first films scheduled to be shown at the theater are Journey to Space, which will take audiences on a behind-the-scenes tour of the international effort to send astronauts to Mars; and Hidden Pacific, which features rare footage of the Pacific Ocean's largely untouched islands, atolls and coral reefs. The film will also dive into the world of protected species such as the Laysan albatross, green sea turtle, Hawaiian monk seal, blacktip reef shark, humphead wrasse, giant clam and beyond.
The reopening comes after a year of museum staff imaginatively utilizing the virtual realm to deliver science education to Toledoans' living rooms.
"Our team was really busy throughout the time we were shut down," said Ms. Mohr. The museum staff revamped pre-existing activities, allowing them to offer virtual everything: virtual tinkering and scout workshops, virtual field trips, even virtual birthday parties.
The staff already had the necessary webcams and computers, though there was "definitely a learning curve," said Ms. Mohr. A few staff members built their own makeshift studios at home. Even after Imagination Station officially reopens, the aforementioned virtual options will remain available as options for families uncomfortable with in-person visiting.
Ultimately, Ms. Mohr said, it'll be exciting "just having people back in the building again."
