We really wanted to see the miniature world offered by the Centre for Education and Leisure Mikroskala located in Konin. It is a place that is definitely worth visiting with family. We first got information about this place from the blog of Kinga and Michał (Leo Lea Blog) – a traveling family from Wrocław. Encouraged by their positive impressions, we decided to check it out on our own.
“Mikroskala” (Micro scale) is located on the outskirts of Konin at the road that joins the city with the A2 highway (junction Konin East). Mikroskala is located in the Entertainment Centre together with a 3D cinema, an in-building playground, a time capsule, and a shop. The greater part of the building was occupied by the Mikroskala exhibition. Families have special group tickets, which makes the attraction less expensive. Discounts are always welcome 😉
When we entered the exhibition, we saw many themed scenes made in micro scale. Some of them are protected by glass and others are partially open. In the open ones, everything is within reach. The kids were initially overwhelmed, because they wanted to see everything at once and began running from display to display. There were so many amazing things to see. After a while, when they calmed down, we began to quietly watch everything step by step.
We really liked an interactive mock-up of two trains, where one train was going through a tunnel. One careless hand movement and the train would derail. Putting it back on the tracks wasn’t an easy task, because the motor started racing as soon as it made contact with the tracks. The trains rode past the platform where Rex, Bolek and Lolek, Baltazar the Sponge, the Smurfs, Kajko and Kokosz, Titus, and other well-known fairy-tale characters were waiting.
Some displays were connected to each other in such a way that the train could go along several stages through tunnels in the walls. The children were running around with delight, following the train. The world shown in the models reflects real-world places. For example, you could see the railway station in Konin or amusement park.
Next, we walked past scenes referring to historical events that left a mark in history. Such scenes included, for example, the Titanic (with a part on the water and the wreckage on the ocean floor). We could also see the world destroyed by disasters such as tsunami or tornado. In addition to the natural scenes, there were also scenes depicting disasters caused by humans, such as the atomic bomb explosion or the Berlin wall. There were also those depicting historical events from World War II.
We also found a model depicting Noah’s Ark and the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. Above us, there was even a UFO with music from the TV series The X-Files
Each model contained a world in miniature. All items were reflected with great precision. You can see that the designers put a lot of heart into building each scene.
Parts of the exhibition had buttons that were used to trigger special effects. And such effects could, for example, start a train, turn on the lights, or play sounds. As we heard from Mikroskala’s staff: “buttons are there to be pushed.” Just say that to the children …
There were also mock-ups related to films. Star Wars fans will find here a real treat. Kris, when he saw it, started to name each famous character. See it yourself in the video:
Under construction was another scene presenting the world from the movie Avatar.
Suddenly, we were invited to look at the workshop. It is rare to show people something that is hidden behind the main hall. A very nice surprise. We went to the workshop area. A new platform under construction will use glass balls to create action. These balls will fall to activate various mechanisms. So far, however, we saw a raw wooden structure and we had the opportunity to trace the movement of the falling balls. It was very loud. As we were told, louder attractions work better because kids like them much more.
Apart from the mock-ups, there is also a creative corner for kids. There are various blocks and spatial puzzles. Arranging the 3×3 cube elements can be a bit tricky, but we did it.
We are very pleased and surprised that in the weekend there were no crowds. We were able to carefully examine each mock-up and safely wander around the whole building without the fear of getting lost in the crowd.
In summary – a great attraction, which is worth a visit. Thanks to the diversity of the individual thematic mock-ups, everyone will find something interesting here.