Overview
- The Ontario Science Centre opened a temporary location at Harbourfront Centre on Monday, June 29, 2026, restoring in-person science programming after the Don Mills site closed in June 2024.
- The Harbourfront site occupies roughly 86,000 square feet, about 15 percent of the former 568,000-square-foot Don Mills facility, so exhibits will be smaller and rolled out in phases.
- Initial attractions at Harbourfront include a Space Deck planetarium, an Innovation Station for hands-on tinkering, and Curiosity Commons outdoor activities with more exhibits planned later in 2026.
- The province has signed a $1.04-billion contract with Ontario Science Partners to build, finance, and maintain a new science centre at Ontario Place set to open in 2029.
- Key unanswered questions include how much the interim Harbourfront setup cost and what will happen to the empty Don Mills building, and the new site could affect visitor access, local tourism jobs, and programming availability as the project progresses.