Le Vaisseau is a hands-on science center located in Strasbourg. Designed for children and teenagers aged 3 to 15, it is headed by the Departmental Council of the Bas-Rhin, which initiated its creation in 2005.
Objective
The aim of the Vaisseau is to make a young audience interested in sciences and techniques by using a playful approach. To do that, several media of scientific mediation are used to allow the visitor to find the one best suited for him. The motto of the Vaisseau is "Science while having fun."
History
In 1998, the Seat of the Department of the Bas-Rhin welcomes an exhibit by the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie. The General Council of the Bas-Rhin identifies, with this exhibition, an interest in sciences from the young public, especially when they are addressed in a playful and interactive manner. There is also a need to equip the department with a scientific and technical facility. In 2000, the project is officially introduced to the representatives, who support it and commission Guy-Dominique Kennel, then vice-president of the General Council, to carry it out successfully. The project takes shape little by little along the year 2000, and a multidisciplinary team is formed. An architectural contest is launched. In 2002, architects Bernard Weixler and François Rohmer, associated with scenographer Jérôme Habersetzer are chosen for the project. The first stone is laid in August 2003. The name "Le Vaisseau" is picked by the children of the Wangenbourg summer camp, who would like to "learn while having fun." In 2014, on the occasion of its tenth birthday, important renewal works were undertaken.
Permanent Exhibitions
The Vaisseau addresses six different scientific themes:
Being Human
This space enables children to discover their to body to learn to know themselves better, and understand the differences and similarities between human beings. There are also two elements to raise children's awareness to disabilities: a path in the dark, and an obstacle course to do in a wheelchair or using crutches.
The Animals
This space aims to make us discover the animals living close to us, in the city or in the country: ants, bees, frogs...
I Build
Children get acquainted with construction and discover the processes of design and fabrication through various techniques. The "building site" is an area dedicated to children from 3 to 6 years old.
Water
Understanding the physical properties of water, its social and societal stakes and the techniques created to master it...
Log'hic
Solve brain-teasers, enigmas and puzzles to get acquainted with mathematical notions.
The Garden
Stretching on some 5000sq.m., it offers relaxation spaces as well as various elements to observe nature, like an education beehive or an insect hotel.
Temporary Exhibitions
Every year from September to August, the Vaisseau offers a temporary exhibition in a 400sq.m. dedicated space. Among the subjects already tackled are visual disabilities, the wind, mathematics, botany and the human body.
