Wirral’s Eureka! celebrates its first birthday with local children

Children from local schools, The Hive Youth Zone and Seacombe Children’s Centre were invited back to Wirral’s Eureka! Science + Discovery to see how their ideas were brought to life at the popular visitor attraction.

The museum was the first UK attraction to be co-created with young people with more than 300 local children involved in its creation, including students from Mosslands School and Oldershaw Academy in Wallasey. Their input helped create an array of interactive exhibits including a 12 foot tall cat, a see-saw that generates electricity and ‘Germ Buster’ pinball machines.

Since Eureka! opened a year ago in November 2023 it has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors through its doors. Hailed as a ‘catalyst’ for regeneration at its official launch, the museum it expected to boost Wirral’s local economy by £12m by 2032.

Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Paul Stuart said: “We’re proud that a world-class attraction like Eureka! can be part of our ambitious regeneration programme to transform the Left Bank of the Mersey. Not only has it created many jobs and helped boost our local economy, but it’s a wonderful place for children from Wirral and beyond to learn about science, technology, education, arts and maths in an engaging, exciting way.”

As Wirral once again prepares to be Borough of Culture in 2024, the museum is attracting visitors from the Liverpool City Region and beyond, with 11% of visitors over the past twelve months coming from elsewhere in the UK or overseas.

Leigh-Anne Stradeski, Chief Executive of Eureka! said: “It has been inspiring to see the whole of Liverpool city region take Eureka! Science + Discovery into their hearts. This is the first expansion of the brand anywhere else in the UK and is testament to the ambition of Wirral and Liverpool City Region that together we were able to make it happen here at Seacombe.”

The £11.4m visitor attraction received funding from both public and private sector donations, including £6.4m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund, and a £3m investment from the Wellcome Trust/UKRIs ‘Inspiring Science Fund’. Other key funders include Wirral Council, with the attraction playing a key part in extensive regeneration plans to revitalise Birkenhead, its iconic waterfront and the Left Bank area.

Local schools were also offered free visits to help celebrate Eureka’s first birthday. A teacher from Egremont Primary School said: “Our children had a fabulous time. We were warmly greeted and learnt all about the human body. We didn’t know that the younger you are, the more you can smell… we had great fun proving this on the scent machines! We worked out on muscle bikes and even stood in front of a mirror that showed our nervous system. The kids loved it.”

Children up to the age of 14 can gain hands-on learning experiences in special zones on different topics, including Bodies, Homes, Nature and Make Create. Alongside this a programme of events, including workshops, shows and talks, help children to learn creatively.

To book tickets to Eureka! Science + Discovery, visit their website.