SPARKOH !
MUSEUM
The Pass
Scientific adventure park
At the PASS, science isn’t explained, it is brought to life. More than just a museum, this scientific adventure park offers visitors the chance to explore its collections through some fantastically unusual adventures.
A scientific benchmark
The human body, genetics, water, energy, materials, sport, inventions, the five senses… With around ten exhibitions and plenty of experiments to take part in, the PASS has become the biggest science museum in Belgium. On a site covering more than 10,000m2, you can step from one world into another, making some rather unusual discoveries. You will learn how the Shinkansen, Japan’s bullet train, was inspired by the beak of a kingfisher to make sure it doesn’t lose speed when it goes through tunnels. You can do your own MRI scan or X-ray to understand how the human body’s tissue and bones work. Specifically designed with children in mind, the museum has developed an adventure course with rope bridges, clever lighting, slides and acrobatic tree trails to make the experience fun and interactive. There are lots of workshops available throughout the site.
A scientific benchmark
The human body, genetics, water, energy, materials, sport, inventions, the five senses… With around ten exhibitions and plenty of experiments to take part in, the PASS has become the biggest science museum in Belgium. On a site covering more than 10,000m2, you can step from one world into another, making some rather unusual discoveries. You will learn how the Shinkansen, Japan’s bullet train, was inspired by the beak of a kingfisher to make sure it doesn’t lose speed when it goes through tunnels. You can do your own MRI scan or X-ray to understand how the human body’s tissue and bones work. Specifically designed with children in mind, the museum has developed an adventure course with rope bridges, clever lighting, slides and acrobatic tree trails to make the experience fun and interactive. There are lots of workshops available throughout the site.
A site loaded with history
The PASS also boasts a surprising history and setting. Based on the site of a former coalmine, partially redeveloped by Jean Nouvel, the Scientific Adventure Park is the perfect base from which to learn about the region’s mining past. The Grenier des Histoires takes visitors into the day-to-day lives of men and women in the Borinage region. Immigration, working in the pit, firedamp explosions, leisure activities... The museum looks to the past to explain the present and imagine the future. The park covers 28 hectares and creates the perfect environment for outdoor activities. A pond, a headframe and even a weather station, plus observatories around the site to experience nature in an unusual way. The icing on the cake is the chance to go up a slag heap to explore the unique ecosystem of this stunning example of our natural heritage.
