| Hydropolis | |
| Location: | 17 Na Grobli Street, 50-421 Wrocław |
| Opened Date: | December 2015 |
| Owner: | MPWiK Wrocław |
Hydropolis (The Centre for Ecological Education "Hydropolis",) is the only science centre in Poland dedicated to water, located in the city of Wrocław.[1]
Its exhibitions use a variety of technology to teach visitors about the role of water in the environment, its importance to humans, and the history of human interactions with water.[2]
According to its website, "Hydropolis is a place where diverse multimedia technologies, interactive installations, faithful replicas and models, as well as touch screens providing extensive information, serve one purpose - to show water from various fascinating perspectives."[3] The exhibition consists of a series of thematic areas: The Planet of Water, The Depths, The Ocean of Life, Relaxation Zone, Man and Water, The History of Water Engineering, The City and Water, The States of Water, along with a children's zone and a temporary exhibition zone.[4] The centre is fully accessible for people with disabilities.[5] In addition to the exhibition, Hydropolis offers educational workshops for children from kindergarten through secondary school age.[6]
The centre is located in a 4600 m² historic neo-Gothic underground reservoir, which had been used for drinking water from the time of its construction in the 1890s.[7] The facility is owned by the city's Municipal Water and Sewage Company (Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji). It was added to the register of monuments in 2002. In 2011 the reservoir was taken out of use, and renovated to create Hydropolis, which opened in 2015.