The sound of hammers, drills and paint brushes occupied the Instituto Butantan park for the 27 months it was closed, because of the Covid pandemic. During this period, the open space for visitors took the opportunity to undergo renovations and now reopens to the public with a new name: Science Park.
Occupying a green area of 725 thousand square meters in the west of São Paulo, the cultural complex of Butantan has a park, museums, animals and historic buildings. Open to visitors since last Saturday, the 25th, the address has undergone restoration and new attractions, such as exhibitions and trails.
One of the main changes is in the construction of a boulevard. Where there used to be a paved street where cars traveled, today there is a sidewalk flanked by trees, benches and reflecting pools. The space also gained lighting and accessibility features, such as ramps and tactile flooring, as well as a shop and tent for events.
Another novelty is the Biological Museum, which welcomed new residents: snakes, lizards and species of amphibians. These are animals that came mainly from traffic seizures made by Ibama, explains Giuseppe Puorto, director of the museum and Science Park.
The institute’s postcard, the Vital Brazil building will house a museum that tells the history of Butantan, a library and a café. The building, however, is still under construction and should be inaugurated by the end of the year. In the coming months, a museum dedicated to vaccines should also be opened.
Another reinforcement won the local garden, with the opening of a trail, an arena theater and a garden. In the surroundings, a deck with benches was built, from where it is possible to observe centenary trees of the Atlantic Forest, birds and marmosets.
Installed in an old stable, the Terra Firme space has been redesigned and includes new panels, video projections, ramps and air conditioning. Currently, it houses the exhibition “Serum or Serum”, which narrates the trajectory of the institute and the production of serums.
Next to it, a square gained a bed of roses and a bronze sculpture of the founder of Butantan, the doctor Vital Brazil. Temporary exhibitions complete the address’s news calendar.
Visitors can also meet the “macacario”, home to animals originally from India. The institute complex, founded in 1901, also houses 12 historic buildings, all of which were restored in the last year. Among the well-known attractions are a serpentarium, an environment for other reptiles and the Museum of Microbiology.
Between July 5th and 30th, a vacation schedule was prepared, which will have activities such as storytelling, chats with scientists and monitored walks. One of the most anticipated is the snake venom extraction demonstration — scheduled for July 9 and 30, at 10 am. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis.
With the revitalization, the institute should expand the agenda of educational activities, says Puorto, the park’s director. “We want to bring science closer to the population, especially children, and to show in a didactic way the science that happens in Butantan.”
Entrance to the park is free. To access the museums, it is necessary to purchase a single ticket, which costs R$ 6 and entitles you to visit all the exhibitions.
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