Museum gives kids a spin at science

DETAILS

Museo El Trompo, Tijuana

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Location: Via Rapida Oriente, next to Morelos Park.

Admission: Varies from about $4 to $7.

Information: ElTrompo.org (information on the Web site is available in English and Spanish).

U-T Multimedia: For a video about Museo El Trompo, go to uniontrib.com/more/trompo.

— It took about 10 years to build, and it's still far from complete. But Tijuana officials yesterday opened the first phase of the long-awaited Museo El Trompo, or Spinning Top, a state-of-the-art science and technology museum for children.

At a time when news about Tijuana is dominated by the raging drug war, the museum gives residents something to feel proud about. The gigantic structure dominates the landscape in the eastern part of the city.

The four-story building will have about 40,000 square feet of space when completed, but most of the museum remains under construction. Parts of the first floor opened yesterday, including a 3-D movie theater, a coffee shop and an interactive area for children.

“While bad news often tries to subdue our city, Tijuana cannot be tamed, and that's why we respond by offering a cultural experience that is going to give our children and our families a new opportunity,” Mayor Jorge Ramos said.

The interactive area features more than 40 science and technology exhibits similar to those at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park. Children can learn about energy and electricity, among other things.

The idea for the museum goes back to 1995, when a group of Tijuana leaders traveled to the Spanish shipping center of Bilbao to study its planning process and borrow ideas for coping with growth.

Spearheading the effort was Tijuana's Economic Development Council, a nonprofit group that promotes projects for the city. The primary aim is to generate interest in science and technology through exhibits aimed at children and teenagers ages 4 through 15.

So far, about $9.2 million has been spent on the project. About $2.2 million was raised over a 10-year period through the museum's concession to run the annual Tijuana fair. An additional $1.5 million has come through private donations, and the rest is from federal, state and municipal governments.

Officials do not have a timetable for completion of the museum.

Jorge Kuri, a shopping center developer and president of the museum's board, said the most difficult part was to finish the actual structure. Kuri is optimistic that the remaining part of the project will be easier.

“The rest of the work will fall like dominoes, and we expect things to go faster,” Kuri said.

Fifth-grader Patricia Sanchez said she feels that she has helped the museum become a reality. Although she had just been born when the project started, when she got older, she was one of thousands of children who raised money through school fundraisers.

“I really liked it,” Patricia said. “They did a good job and it's a lot of fun. I can't wait until they finish it.”

Staff writer Sandra Dibble contributed to this report. Hiram Soto: (619) 293-2027; hiram.soto@uniontrib.com

 
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