Questacon

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The Tesla coil in the exhibition Awesome Earth at Questacon

A tornado simulator using steam in the same exhibition

Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre, is located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Australia. It is a large centre with more than 200 interactive exhibits relating to science and technology. Questacon's building was Japan's gift to Australia for the 1988 Bicentenary and it was opened on the 23rd of November, 1988. Questacon is a part of the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). The director is Professor Graham Durant.

The centre is split up into seven galleries on different floors, accessed by a spiral ramp around the 'drum'. As of May 2006, the seven galleries are:

Sports Quest, with some intriguing physical challenges.
Sideshow, perhaps the most popular exhibition, looking at the science of the circus. Several popular exhibits include Free Fall, a giant slide with a six metre drop, and Track Attack, a simulated roller-coaster.
MiniQ, an exhibition designed for children between the ages of 0 and 6. Exhibits include a water play area, a sensory space, and a quiet area.
Wavelength, looking at light and sound. The exhibitions features displays on Polarised light, Fresnel lenses, and holograms.
Awesome Earth, looking at natural disasters and geology. Features a Tesla coil and an earthquake simulator.
Toys, looking at the history of toys, and the science behind them.
Strike a Chord, looking at the science of music, including a light harp and an 'air guitar' (A broom with sensors).

The galleries are staffed by paid staff, as well as a team of about 60 volunteers. The volunteers occasionally will make use of Discovery Trollies, featuring smaller, hands-on exhibits related to the gallery.

The centre also features three theatres, used for performances by Questacon's theatre troupe, The Excited Particles normally targeted at families. The troupe also does more serious talks on general areas of science and current events.

In addition to the exhibitions in Canberra, Questacon also run a large number of outreach programs all over Australia, including the Shell Questacon Science Circus, Tenix Questacon Maths Squad, Smart Moves and range of activities in remote indigenous communities.

Each year over 300 000 people visit the centre in Canberra, and another 300 000 participate in Outreach Programs.

Their slogan often used in advertising is "We always make science fun." You can watch Questacon's TV ads online.