Wrexham’s new science and discovery centre Xplore! celebrates its grand opening

It was a sell-out success for the reopening of a science discovery centre in Wrexham at the weekend.

Xplore! welcomed families across the county borough as it marked its relocation and rebrand with a full house on Saturday and Sunday.

Previously based at Wrexham Glyndŵr University as Techniquest Glyndŵr, Xplore! has over 100 new exhibits at its new facility on Henblas Street – as well as a café and gift shop, which proved popular with visitors at the relaunch.

The Xplore! team is celebrating after 100 per cent of tickets were snapped up, dozens of positive comments were left online and with staff members, and bookings are flooding in for this weekend.

Although local lockdown measures are in place, the science discovery centre’s reopening went ahead as planned with tickets limited to only those who live Wrexham County Borough.

Scot Owen, Xplore! centre manager, said: “We couldn’t have wished for a better reopening with maximum attendance and glowing feedback.

“The demand was really high from both annual pass holders and the general public and the atmosphere was fantastic. There was a huge buzz throughout both days as families interacted with all the new exhibits as well as the returning favourites.

“Some of the exhibits keep score and there was a healthy sense of competition between the groups with lots of pictures being taken and shared online to show off their results.

“I would just like to thank the Xplore! team for all their hard work getting the centre ready for the relaunch, as well as thank all the visitors who worked with us to ensure COVID-19 measures were appropriately implemented and adhered to.”

Guests took to Xplore!’s Facebook page to share their thoughts about their visit.

Rebecca Kate Preest, said: “My boys loved it! Engineers, inventors and scientists of the future. My husband and I had fun, too.”, while Susan Wynn commented: “It is truly a wonderful achievement. What an amazing asset for our town of Wrexham.”.

Lisa Marie recommended Xplore! on the social media platform and said: “A great addition to Wrexham town centre. Our two- and three-year-olds played happily for three hours.

“Plenty of great exhibits to keep them entertained. We liked the thoughtful addition of steps so the little ones could reach and see what was going on.

“Staff working hard to keep everything clean and safe. Hope to see toddler mornings back soon.”

In 2019, the organisation delivered close to 203,000 hours of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) activities.

Scot added: “We are open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as seven days a week during the Wrexham school holidays.

“We have already started receiving bookings for this weekend, including the Friday, which is ideal for children not full-time at school yet.

“Based on our success this weekend, our advice is to secure your ticket early to avoid disappointment. While we are accepting walk-ins, we cannot guarantee entry as we adhere to social distancing.

“We’re also looking forward to local lockdown restrictions easing and welcoming families from across North Wales, the north west of England and Shropshire.”

The multi-million pound project has been made possible through the support of the Inspiring Science Fund – a partnership between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome, the Targeted Regeneration Investment programme – a partnership between Welsh Government and Wrexham County Borough Council, and Wrexham Glyndŵr University.