Catalyst Science Discovery Centre

The Catalyst Science Discovery Centre (originally known as The Museum of the Chemical Industry) is a science centre and museum focusing on chemistry and the history of the chemical industry. It is located near Spike Island in Widnes, Cheshire, and next to the River Mersey. The museum is accredited by the Arts Council England.

The centre contains static exhibitions, hands-on experiments and the Alchemy Theatre which gives shows on chemistry. Family workshops are arranged during school and bank holidays.

The centre is housed in an old four-storey building known as Tower Building constructed around 1860 by John Hutchinson as the administrative centre for his alkali chemical business. In 1989 a glass lift and an enclosed glazed roof-top observation deck, designed by Lord Austin-Smith were added to the building in order to develop it into a museum. In 1994–95, an extension was added to the north to provide an education centre and visitor services. The centre holds a collection of archives relating to the chemical industry, these include documents, photographs and the entire research archive of the ICI General Chemical Division.