To recognize the House of Sciences, look for a striking, red-and-white building with round windows and a square tower, sitting right on the north bank of the Ebro River between the Iron Bridge and the Stone Bridge-just ahead of you now.
Welcome to the House of Sciences-a place where curiosity finds a home! Imagine yourself standing here over a century ago, but watch your step, because this was once the city’s old municipal slaughterhouse. Don’t worry, there’s no need to hold your nose today! This fascinating building was designed by architect Luis Barrón, with the sturdy touch of engineer Gómez Escolar who made sure the structure could stand the test of time. It opened its doors back in 1910 and, in true industrial style, proudly showed off its big windows and bold red facade. The hum of activity must have been everywhere, with workers and wagons coming and going.
As the decades passed, the city of Logroño changed, and by the 1970s, the old slaughterhouse finally hung up its, let’s say, ‘butcher’s apron.’ After that, the building wandered through an awkward identity crisis-imagine a lost teenager-until the late 1990s, when a magical transformation took place! After a grand makeover, the building was reborn in 1999 as the Casa de las Ciencias, ready to let people’s imaginations run wild.
Now, whether you’re a child, a parent, or a mad scientist with a wild hairstyle, you’ll find something here to spark excitement. The ground floor bursts with temporary exhibitions-at least ten different ones every year! One month you might be marveling at robots, the next, pondering dinosaurs. The big, bright lobby welcomes everyone, while a beautiful staircase leads you upward to a conference room that can seat a hundred eager minds for talks, movie nights, or debates where the only explosions are ideas.
Three sunlit classrooms open onto workshops for learners of every age-school groups, kids, adults with questions bigger than the building itself. There’s even a documentation center, armed with computers, a library full of books and DVDs, and free internet: the only danger is getting so comfortable you forget the time!
But don’t forget to step outside-the gardens are an open invitation to play and discover. Here, you’ll find scientific surprises nestled between the greenery: try spinning, jumping, and listening to the echoes and musical stones. Right by the Stone Bridge, see if you can spot the dinosaur footprints, straight from La Rioja’s prehistoric past. On the Iron Bridge side, test out sound experiments-a xylophone, a “musical seesaw,” and more devices that will make you laugh and scratch your head at the same time.
Nearby, a rock garden tells the story of our planet, with mighty stones arranged from oldest to youngest. Slate, red sandstone, even a chunk of Cretaceous limestone-touch the textures and travel through time.
And here's the best scientific mystery of all: entry is absolutely free! So next time you want to stir up your sense of wonder, just step inside and dive into discovery. Who knows-maybe you’ll leave here with your head full of ideas, your pockets full of pebbles, and hopefully, no leftover sausages.
