Exploratório was the first interactive science center in Portugal, launched as a non-profit organization in 1995, under the initiative of the University of Coimbra and with financial support from the 1995 edition of the European Week of Science: a small interactive exhibition, a school contest involving schools from Portugal and Spain, an international conference, an art and science exhibition from Holland, all around the theme of Serendipity in Science.
For 13 years, Exploratório was a small generalist center, showing around 120 exhibits almost entirely made in-house. With the 1st stage of a new site, 5 years ago, a dominant theme emerged: the relations between basic sciences and health. In addition to a “MultiScience space”, "Materials", “Science in the park” and “Hemispherium : Astronomy and full-dome films”, the 2nd stage is being completed early in 2015, the main exhibition “Keeping fit … with science” using about 700 sq. m. With a total of 115 exhibits, the Biology of the human body naturally receives special attention. But the whats and the hows and whys require Physics and Chemistry and other fields. Seven venues are considered which are related to the several systems, the nervous system including a central multi-exhibit on the brain (actions, sensations and emotions and the main areas involved in the brain). Brain (and music) was also the theme of the cluster that Exploratório integrated as third party within the European Project KiiCS, led by ECSITE. It is also the theme of a small travelling interactive exhibition to be created in consortium with two other Portuguese Ciência Viva Centres, in collaboration with several research centres. In close relation to the brain and perception, there is a small exhibition on communication and the 5 senses which was travelling in the country before becoming permanent in one of the areas of the new building. All the exhibitions have been designed and constructed by Exploratório’s team, in close consultancy with members of the university staff.