Science Centre AHHAA (

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

: ''Teaduskeskus AHHAA'') is a

science centre A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in mu ...

located in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

, and is currently the largest science centre in the

Baltic states The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

. AHHAA was established to promote

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

and

technology Technology is the application of Conceptual model, conceptual knowledge to achieve practical goals, especially in a reproducible way. The word ''technology'' can also mean the products resulting from such efforts, including both tangible too ...

using interactive exhibits. Since 7 May 2011, Science Centre AHHAA has been in the building located in the centre of Tartu.

History

AHHAA was established as a project of the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

on 1 September 1997. Since 12.03.2004, it has operated as a

foundation Foundation(s) or The Foundation(s) may refer to: Common uses * Foundation (cosmetics), a skin-coloured makeup cream applied to the face * Foundation (engineering), the element of a structure which connects it to the ground, and transfers loads f ...

constituted by the city of Tartu and the University of Tartu. The activities of the Science Centre AHHAA Foundation are coordinated by a

committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly or other form of organization. A committee may not itself be considered to be a form of assembly or a decision-making body. Usually, an assembly o ...

composed of Katrin Pihor, Hannes Astok, Aune Valk, Reno Laidre, Jaanika Anderson and Sulev Valner. Additionally, the practical aspects of the activities of the foundation are appraised by a science committee composed of experts consisting of Jaan Kikas, Peeter Saari, Jaak Jaaniste, Mart Noorma, Arko Olesk, Toivo Maimets, Priit Põdra and Margit Timakov. AHHAA is governed by the board consisting of two members. Tiiu Sild was the head of the board until 2012. She was followed by Andres Juur (head of board since 2012). The second board member is Pilvi Kolk (member of board since 2005). In 2008, the AHHAA 4D Adventure Cinema opened in the Lõunakeskus shopping centre located in Tartu (the cinema was closed at the end of 2017). In 2009, a

branch office A branch office is an outlet of a company or, more generally, an organization that – unlike a subsidiary – does not constitute a separate legal entity, while being physically separated from the organization's main office. Branching is particu ...

of Science Centre AHHAA opened in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

at the Freedom Square (the Tallinn branch was closed at the end of 2013). On 7 May 2011, Science Centre AHHAA in Tartu opened the doors of its new, 11,156 m² building engineered by

architects An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Vilen Künnapu Vilen Künnapu (born 30 June 1948) is one of the most important Estonian architects of the last three decades, among the first postmodernist theoreticians and architects in the 1970s. He has worked on various buildings in Estonia and abroad.

and

Ain Padrik Ain Padrik (born 27 April 1947) is an Estonian architect. Padrik graduated from Estonian Academy of Arts as an architect in 1971. He belonged to the group of young architects and artists called the Tallinn School, which was grouped from Tiit Kalju ...

Planetarium

Science Centre AHHAA houses a fully spherical hybrid planetarium (which means there is a possibility to show the skies with

optical Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultravio ...

and digital projection, which can be displayed separately or together). The planetarium design includes a

glass floor Glass floors are made with transparent glass when it is useful to view something from above or below; whereas translucent glass is used when there is no need to view through. In either case, toughened glass is usually chosen, for its durabili ...

which allows the projection images to extend under the floor.

General

*The planetarium is 9 meters in diameter *It contains 20+5 seats *It is the first planetarium in Europe to use the MEGASTAR projector *It is also the first hybrid-planetarium (multiple projector system) in the Baltic states The AHHAA Planetarium belongs to two organisations: *The Nordic Planetarium Association *The International Planetarium Society

4D Adventure Cinema

Science Centre AHHAA had a 4D Adventure Cinema, located in the Lõunakeskus shopping centre on the southern edge of Tartu. The cinema was open from 18 July 2008 to 31 December 2017 Mullitorn

Events

The Science Centre AHHAA Foundation regularly organizes special events. Some of the most notable events are listed below: *The annual Researchers' Night Festival – organized all over Estonia in the end of September and consisting of different events promoting a scientific approach to matters (such as Science Cafés, science theatre shows, tours in laboratories, workshops etc.).

International representation

The Science Centre AHHAA Foundation participates in science festivals and fairs both in Estonia and abroad, its main choice being the science theatre shows and various workshops. During the past few years

Festival della Scienza The Festival della Scienza is an annual science festival held in Genoa, Italy. It was launched in 2003 combining hundreds of different initiatives and events, designed to fulfill and stimulate the interest of visitors of all ages and all levels o ...

and Perugia Science Fest in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, Korea Science Festival in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

, Moscow Science Festival in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Science Picnic The Science Picnic is Europe's largest outdoor science-popularization event organized jointly by Polish Radio and the Copernicus Science Centre. It has been held every year since 1997. A wide range of research fields are represented at the Picnic, ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and Science Festival Belgrade in

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

have been among the few places where Science Centre AHHAA has been represented.

Acknowledgements

Science Centre AHHAA has been awarded with numerous prizes both for the building as well as for its intellectual achievements. *At the TourEst2012 fair held on February 17–19, 2012 Science Centre AHHAA in Tartu was chosen to be the best tourism destination in 2011 by the Union of Estonian Enterprises of Tourism. *On February 16, 2012, the Tartu City Council posthumously awarded Tiiu Sild, Creator and leader of AHHAA, with the title of the Honorary Citizen of Tartu. *On December 19, 2011, Tiiu Sild, the head of Science Centre AHHAA received an award of courtesy for the year 2011, given out by a family magazine “Pere ja Kodu”. *On December 7, 2011, Science Centre AHHAA in Tartu was awarded with the title “The Best Tourism Destination in 2011” by the Foundation South Estonian Tourism. *On November 28, 2011, Science Centre AHHAA in Tartu won the competition of the Achievement of the Year. *On November 11, 2011, during the scientific media conference called “MIDA?!” the head of Science Centre AHHAA, Tiiu Sild, was announced to have been awarded the lifetime achievement award for popularising science. *Between November 2 and 5, 2011 at the IFD Congress held in Dublin, Ireland, the roof of Science Centre AHHAA constructed by Nordecon, presided over by Peeter Voovere, was announced the World's Best-Built Roof in 2010–2011 in the category of metal roofs. *On October 7, 2011, the footprints of Tiiu Sild, the head of the Science Centre AHHAA, were permanently paved into the alley of famous and influential citizens of Tartu. *On March 4, 2011, Science Centre AHHAA won the title of “The Best Building in Tartu 2010” in the category of other new buildings.

Donors and sponsors

The activities of the Science Centre AHHAA Foundation are in co-operation with: * The Estonian Ministry of Education and Research * The City of Tartu, the University of Tartu * Linde * The Environmental Investment Centre * The Rakvere Meat Factory * A.Le Coq Tartu Brewery

References

External links

* {{Authority control Science museums Museums in Tartu