Museum gets a 3D theatre

Learning about wildlife will be a fun, interactive and three-dimensional experience for students, if the Museum and Zoos Department has its way. To this end, a 3D theatre, part of the upcoming Children’s Activity Centre on the Museum premises, was inaugurated by Museum and Zoos Minister P K Jayalakshmi on Tuesday.

The Minister, along with Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar and K Muraleedharan MLA took a virtual trip under the ocean and was introduced to the reefy world of the tiger shark, crown-of-thorns starfish and Triton’s Trumpet snail. Soon, students under 15 years of age will also be able to take similar journeys in 3D glasses to visit wildlife in jungles, mountains, plains and deserts, according to Museum officials.

The theatre, which has a seating capacity of 37, was set up by Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (KELTRON) and houses a 65-inch LED flat screen with 7.1 surround sound.

“We will show educational shows related to wildlife for students younger than 15 years,” said Educational Officer K Gangadharan. “We are still waiting on a government order to fix the rates and such things but we should be ready by summer vacations,” he said.

The 3D theatre is part of the Children’s Activities Centre, located next to the Children’s Park, which is still under construction. The other facilities in the upcoming centre include a library and modelling centre where children would have workshops on clay-modelling and wood carving. A room dedicated to the biodiversity of the Western Ghats is also being set up.