In Pilsen, work is culminating on the interactive science museum, the only one in the Czech Republic

Plzeň - The final work is nearing completion these days on the modern interactive science museum Techmania science center, which is being created in Plzeň and is the only one of its kind in the Czech Republic. The museum area of 3,000 square meters will be officially opened next week, about 1.5 years after the construction began. The museum, located in the area of the former Škodovka factory, will feature four exhibitions intended not only for primary and secondary school students. This was reported by project leader Vlastimil Volák.
    "Ninety percent of all exhibits are already in place. Techmania will offer four exhibitions for now. In the so-called Edutorium, which focuses on school physics education, there will be 60 interactive exhibits. Visitors can, for example, experience 200,000 volts firsthand," he stated.
    The second exhibition will be the Škoda exhibit, which will showcase 150 years of its history and activities. Among the exhibits in Plzeň will be a steam turbine from 1922 or the first measured model of the Škoda Superb from the Mladá Boleslav Škodovka.
    "Because we want to remain attractive to visitors, we decided to borrow additional exhibitions from abroad," Volák added. The first, titled Patented by Nature, was sent from the Netherlands. It shows what nature has taught humans and will be on display until August 2009. Another exhibition, this time Scientific Toy from Slovakia, will present 150 different toys from 36 countries around the world and will run until the end of 2008.
    The costs for the reconstruction and equipping of the entire building, which Škoda Holding has invested in the project, will be about half a billion CZK. The center will cover half of its operating costs from its own funds, has a commercial partner for another portion, and is also looking for a partner in public administration. The building, where the exhibition is taking place, dates back to 1916-1917 and originally served as an armaments factory. For the first phase of reconstruction, it was possible to obtain 34 million from the state budget. Additional millions were provided by Plzeň and the Plzeň Region.
    The entire project, which is unique in the Czech Republic, was initiated in 2005 by Škodovka and the West Bohemia University. According to the rector of the university, Josef Průša, the university educates not only technicians but also teachers, and the scientific center is meant to help them eliminate the persistent fear of mathematics and physics in children.
    Since the 1970s, around 800 science centers have been established worldwide, with four located in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. The center in Plzeň will open to the public on Tuesday, November 4, at 09:00. It will be accessible daily until 17:00.