Watershed Wonders | Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre

DISCOVERY CENTRE > WATERSHED WONDERS

The Water Gallery

Family fun in all corners of Watershed Wonders starting with building mountains, lakes, rivers and then making it rain in the Augmented Realty Sand Table.

Once you have built a watershed then take time to explore the watershed in our crawl through tunnel, playing with 14 interactives including a 96” virtual aquarium. The aquarium will bring hours of fun as you touch each of the species and then a pop-up will highlight what the species is. Just try and catch the otter as he swims by.

Click Here to learn how Friends of the Muskoka Watershed are reversing the calcium decline issue in Muskoka

Feed Your Imagination

The Eco-friendly Shoreline
brings to life that intriguing setting where the land meets the water
Virtual Aquarium
touch screen, is a hands-on introduction to life under the water surface
Water Management game
encourages a player to create a flood, then see the impact on the watershed
Name the species and match their habitats
use what you learn the next time a creature visits your backyard or cottage dock
Invasive Species
teaches players to recognize non-native species that studies reveal have a negative impact on the watershed
Under water tunnel crawl
you don’t get wet as you discover what it is like to be a fish or tiny creature living near the shoreline
Didja Know
so many facts, so little time – return again and again to Watershed Wonders, the discovery never stops!

Wonder is the feeling of amazement/surprise caused by something beautiful, unexpected, remarkable or unfamiliar, maybe even inexplicable. The Muskoka Watershed is an environmental wonder, because it is uniquely beautiful in myriad unexpected and unfamiliar ways. Importantly, it is the cradle of our heritage and the foundation of our economy.

Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre – our organization – has long celebrated that heritage through our iconic steamships, RMS Segwun and Wenonah II, and the Muskoka Discovery Centre (MDC).

Our new state-of-the-art Watershed Wonders exhibit is designed to instill wonder through discovery. Visitors experience a dynamic, entertaining and educational journey that amazes and inspires by delving deep into the beauty and remarkable inner workings of the Muskoka Watershed.

Text, images and over a dozen audiovisual touchscreen units (AV) encourage the visitor to explore, discover and wonder. For example:

At the entrance,

an introductory AV unit showcases the size and complexity of the watershed,

showing lakes,

rivers,

dams,

wetlands,

roads

and communities.

Within the exhibit,

a virtual aquarium (96” screen) invites the visitor to touch one of the fish swimming by.

A text screen then pops up describing the fish and its place in the watershed.

(A virtual aquarium is not filled with water and real fish. It seems incredibly real, courtesy of software.)

You will find in our aquarium:

Lake Trout,

Walleye,

Northern Pike,

Whitefish,

Millifoid,

ships,

beavers

and more!

Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre

The Muskoka Steamships & Discovery Centre is the leader in preserving, promoting and celebrating the culture and heritage of Canada’s Muskoka District. Founded in 1973, the MS&DC is a membership-based, not-for-profit registered charity with an ongoing objective of presenting compelling, entertaining and educational experiences, attractions and events.

Muskoka Steamships
185 Cherokee Lane
Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1Z9
Toll free: 1-866-687-6667
Phone: 705-687-6667

Muskoka Discovery Centre
275 Steamship Bay Road
Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1Z9
Phone: 705-687-2115

Charitable Number: 132617770RR0001