Muzeiko, located in Bulgaria’s capital city of Sofia, is the first interactive children’s science and discovery center in the country. Created by ABF, it opened its doors for children, families and school groups on October 1, 2015. Organized conceptually as a journey through time and space, visitors can explore three levels of exhibits with more than 130 interactive games and activities, a maker space, a planetarium, and traveling exhibits in the 35,000 sf (3,250 sq.m.) facility. Children move through time, floor by floor, beginning with “The Past” which features exhibits interpreting archaeology, geology and paleontology. The ground floor is “The Present,” represented by hands-on exhibits about the natural environment and contemporary cities. The top floor is dedicated to “The Future” with interactive exhibitions exploring cutting-edge technologies and space travel. In 2016, Muzeiko added an educational center called Muzeika (Muzeiko’s sister), which features scientific labs, a reading room, a children’s radio station, cooking classes, a ceramics studio and a vegetable garden.
Everything in Muzeiko – from the specialized architecture, through energy efficiency, to the space for interactive exhibits has been designed to pique children’s curiosity about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). The design and content was developed by leading Bulgarian and international scientists, educators and designers in line with the contemporary trends in education. The exhibits are based on the theory of learning through play and applied activities, multiple intelligences, suggestopedia, and other techniques for accelerated learning and expanding children’s potential.