Science Museum in C2S?

[jstanthrnme]

I would like to start the rumor that Science Museum Oklahoma is donating its current land to the OKC Zoo, and relocating to the Core to Shore development. Expanding to cover meteorology, geology, and biology.

Would this not be a legitimate anchor to the Core to Shore devolopments?

[ssandedoc]

The Science Museum is too big to move.

[Spartan]

Their current museum is a dump honestly. I doubt they have the money to break on a new facility without doing some serious renovations. They should go back to being called the Omniplex, too.

[David Pollard]

The Science Museum is too big to move.

Nothing is too big to move. Airports move!
This is an excellent idea. Especially if the new facility is state of the art and with a notable architect. Have a look at Santiago Calatrava's Science Center in Valencia Spain. THAT is an eye catcher. Would look great in core to shore.

Santiago Calatrava - City of Arts and Sciences :: arcspace.com

[Architect2010]

Their current museum is a dump honestly. I doubt they have the money to break on a new facility without doing some serious renovations. They should go back to being called the Omniplex, too.

Having gone there just the other day as a mandatory Senior year field trip to learn about safe sex. Kinda late don't you think? Anyways. The Musuem looks better than I have ever seen it throughout my youth years. The outside is just as ugly as ever, but the inside looks better than it's ever been.

Have you been inside? Or were you merely talking about the exterior aesthetics?

[Spartan]

I haven't been in the Omniplex in at least 3 or 4 years honestly. If they've cleaned up the inside then that's great. I still don't get the impression that they have the money to break ground on a new facility.

And I meant "some serious fundraising" not "some serious renovations" .. I just had renovations on the brain I guess.

[gsan]

Their current museum is a dump honestly. I doubt they have the money to break on a new facility without doing some serious renovations. They should go back to being called the Omniplex, too.

You need to go in. It is not a dump they have done a lot of great things inside including a great tree house. My kids love it.

[jbrown84]

Yeah I think it's too entrenched to move. Not as much as the NC&WHM, but still. Some of it's smaller tenants like the Gymnastics Hall of Fame would be good candidates for C2S.

Too bad we let the International Photography Hall of Fame go to St. Louis.

[boy]

Well, I think they should donate the zoo land to the science museum, and move the zoo to the C2S area! (wouldn't that be fun?)

[jbrown84]

The zoo has spent millions building new exhibits. It's not going anywhere either.

[CCOKC]

I think I would rather see reliable public transport go out to the entertainment district than try to move pieces of it downtown. I seem to recall a train being mentioned at one point.

[muzique808]

A train between between downtown and the adventure district would be a great idea. I think I have heard that mentioned in the past as well.

How would it work? The old Katy rail line is still in place from the UP yard just east of Bricktown all the way to NE 50th. If it hasn't been completely removed yet, there is also a piece of track that runs from that yard west into Bricktown, right behind the police station. That location is one option for a small passenger loading platform. The Oklahoma Railway Museum already has a nice new shaded platform built just south of NE 50th. At that point, shuttle busses would run a circuit to the zoo, various museums and Remington Park.

Other small obstacles...the existing rail line would probably need a bit of upgrading. The track between NE 50th and the UP railyard is completely intact and usable (ORM used it recently to move some passenger cars to Norman for display), but it isn't in the best condition for anything over a very leisurely pace. Also, there would need to be work done and new equipment installed at the grade crossings along the way.

Overall though, the biggest hurdles IMO, the right-of-way and basic track infrastructure, are already passed. I don't see this as a huge project if someone is willing to take it on.

[Kerry]

The problem is, who would a rail line from downtown/Bricktown to the Adventure District serve? It seems it would be a tourist only line. Most visitors to OKC have a car so demand for this would be really low. I would prefer to see the Museum move downtown in the C2S area or Arts District. It would also be nice if they incorporated a Children's Museum into a downtown facility (I never get tired of seeing old historic children - LOL).

[Spartan]

Guys, the line in mention is running. It goes from Bricktown to the Oklahoma Rail Museum. It's just a one-train one-time a week kind of thing. That's why you never hear anything about it.

[OKC@heart]

Whether the Science Museum does or does not move the basic idea of what type of facilities interface the C2S or Central Park is intriguing and other Major cities have booming success by having a architecturally significant structure to house a cultural museum of some ilk adjacent to shops and public spaces. A natural History museum with a large emphasis on Weather would be fantastic! I could very well spur the museum to become profitable! Hmmm....

[mugofbeer]

I could certainly see the benefit of having the Science Museum in the C2S, but it also has advantages being where it is. Interesting idea, though.

[muzique808]

Spartan, where is the train advertised? I hadn't heard anything about it yet.

[Spartan]

Oklahoma Railway Museum.

[Kerry]

A natural History museum with a large emphasis on Weather would be fantastic!

A hands on weather science museum would be very very cool. Can you just imagine the IMAX movies they could show.

[Spartan]

They could just show Twister every week..

[okcmomentum]

They could have video of Reed Timmer and the Dominator running constantly. And maybe show the IMAX footage from the TIV.

[scootinger]

Having gone there just the other day as a mandatory Senior year field trip to learn about safe sex. Kinda late don't you think? Anyways. The Musuem looks better than I have ever seen it throughout my youth years. The outside is just as ugly as ever, but the inside looks better than it's ever been.

Have you been inside? Or were you merely talking about the exterior aesthetics?

I went there ~2-3 years back (on a high school field trip as well) and recall that the entire air-and-space wing of the building was completely blocked off, and that they had dumped some of the exhibits from there into the main "science museum" area. Rather disappointing, but I figure they were remodeling it? Have they reopened that part of the museum since...and have they done any remodeling to the "science museum" area as well?

That's odd that they'd bring you to the Omniplex for you to listen to a lecture about safe sex. At my high school they gave us the mandatory "abstinence-only" lecture in my biology class my sophomore year (back in 2005-ish). We were told all about the effects of STDs (including a bunch of icky pictures), then we were told that condoms don't work and that the only viable option to avoid pregnancy/diseases is abstinence. Ugh.

[Spartan]

The only people that are more convincing about the ineptitude of condoms are the sad cases who always appear on shows like Jerry Springer and Maury and all the other shows like that. And look at them, pregnant 18 yr olds that have already had 9 babies. The moral of the lesson is that the only true form of safe sex is not being an ignoramus. Go figure.