Osaka Prefectural Children's Museum Big Bang

Osaka Prefectural Large-Scale Children’s Center Big Bang opened in June 1999 (Heisei 11). It is a large, prefecture-run children’s museum established around the theme of “play.” Leiji Matsumoto, creator of *Galaxy Express 999*, served as honorary director, and the facility’s non-everyday atmosphere is built around the grand travel story of the space visitors “Bearl” and “Mellow,” a concept devised by Matsumoto himself. The exterior resembles a UFO, and inside it is designed like a landed spacecraft. The floors are themed as follows: 1F “Cosmo Port” (departure gate to space), 2F “Space Factory,” 3F “Astro Camp,” and 4F “Toy Spaceship.” Hands-on play equipment is found throughout, with plenty of features that even adults can enjoy. As a children’s facility, it offers not only events but also barrier-free access such as slopes, making it enjoyable for wheelchair users as well. It is located about 200 meters from Senboku Rapid Railway Izumigaoka Station. For drivers, there is a dedicated multi-story parking facility with 169 spaces; parking costs 700 yen for up to 3 hours, then 300 yen per additional hour.