An informative day at the SPARKOH!

Mini scientists, scientific apprentices, experimental minds or research fans, the scientific adventure park in Frameries invites you to enrich your mind while having fun

A symbolic Pass’erelle (walkway)

Arriving at theSPARKOH!, this 210-metre-long tunnel will immediately catch your eye. Truly the backbone of the site, the Pass’erelle is a bridge between the various exhibition spaces: the Belvédère, the Pit-Head Frame (former support of the elevator which conveyed men and material, it still dominates the site at 64 metres high), the Machine Room or Exhibition Hangar. In addition, it symbolises the route taken by the Belvédère coal to the now-defunct coal washing plant.

When you finally enter the Pass’erelle, a whole world of unusual experiences awaits you. You’ll progress through it slowly (the Pass’erelle is steep) but surely, in step with little science games. Your senses will be put to the test: the world of the invisible awaits you, telekinesis has some surprises in store, a skeleton will take you on a bike ride, etc. This is what you call a nice introduction! Are you dying to explore what’s left?

Experiences for every taste

10,000 square metres of exhibitions and experiences! It’s not surprising that the Pass is today considered the largest science museum in Belgium. What’s really nice about the Pass is that it covers a lot of areas, it includes scientific experiences and all ages are involved. Covering energy, water, sport, innovations, chemistry, digital technology, materials, genetics and the human body, you’ll easily find something to your liking! Three year olds will explore the Pass’Age des Découvreurs, an opportunity for them to discover the sciences through experimentation and poetry. Children aged 6 to 12 will join the Pass'Age des Aventuriers. They’ll try the acrobatic course that connects three exhibitions (sport, inventions and matéri’Oh), giving them something to stimulate their legs and heads! Sports fans, this is the perfect opportunity for you to challenge a professional basketball player or sprint champion; I’ve nominated Usain Bolt. You can also turn into a host by providing live commentary of a Red Devils match! Not to mention the activities centred on digital technology and chemistry, two disciplines introduced to the Pass in 2017. The youngest will follow the example of Jean Nouvel, the creator of Pass, becoming future architects by jointly constructing a house. As for others, young and old, they will be able to create 3D objects or laser cutters (no less!), create a food aroma or stem an epidemic. Progress is now unstoppable!

There’s no end of originality either!

A wall of materials like you’ve never seen! Chair, skateboard, vinyl, screens: you’ll find objects of every sort and era! Affixed to the wall, they offer you a vision of weightlessness which is surprising to say the least. Then follows a series of both playful and informative questions and answers: Which object is heavier? Which is oldest? What material is this corded telephone made of?

If you like films with amazing projections, I recommend you attend H2O, a short film whose images pervade walls, ceiling and floor, inviting you to reflect on the right to water and the use that we make of it.

As you can imagine, you’ll leave the SPARKOH! having discovered an awful lot! Who said science was boring?

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