As a family, we quite often enjoy going out for the day during the spring and summer to Brighton. We play on the penny arcades, get fish and chips on the pier and the children enjoy paddling in the sea.
On our last visit, we discovered the Rampian Visitor Centre, nestled under one of the red brick arches on the seafront. Free to enter, we decided to see what it was all about.
What is the Rampion Visitor Centre?
In 2018 the £1.3bn Rampion Offshore Wind Farm was built, after first being proposed in 2014. Sitting out to sea, off the Brighton coast, it’s now a constant part of the horizon. Along with the installation of the wind farm came the Rampian Visitor Centre
The Rampian Visitor Centre is a small exhibition where you can discover how electricity works and how the wind farm was built. You will also learn about the relationship between electricity and climate change before you are able to even climb up a wind turbine – thanks to the power of VR headsets!
We found the Rampian Visitor Centre well signposted with a free-standing board near the beach inviting people to visit. We went on one of the hottest days of the year, and it was great to find the centre had working air con! It was actually a lovely break from the heat.
Inside the cosy space, a friendly member of staff greeted us and gave us a short introduction to the exhibits and pointed out the VR headsets that are free to use and managed by the staff.
Before rushing off to have a go on the VR, we took in the message that the visitor centre is getting across. It educates people about the wind farm itself, renewable energy sources and global climate change.
The Rampian Visitor Centre houses interactive displays, videos, models and exhibits all related to the construction of the offshore wind farm.
The history of humans and electricity is also outlined in colourful, eye catching displays that appeal to younger visitors who might otherwise get distracted easily.
The story of the wind farm is on display, from technical drawings, conceptual models and scale models of the inside of a turbine. You can make it spin and see the inner workings whilst generating your own electricity!
The children absolutely loved the VR experience too. When we were ready to have a go, staff came over and unlocked the headsets, giving the children a safety briefing before letting them loose on it. The experience lets users go right up to a turbine on the offshore windfarm and see it up close.
Users can see the inner workings before getting to climb it and see the view from the top. The kids loved the experience and it was fun watching them move around the mock-up of the turbine gantry where the headsets live.
If you find yourself in Brighton and have a spare half hour, then the Rampion Visitors Centre is worth popping in to. You might learn a thing or two and keep the children happy with a go on the VR.
You can find out more over on the Rampion Visitor Centre website and for reference the address is: 76 Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 2FN
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