The Big Idea (museum)
| Established | 15 April 2000 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 15 August 2003 |
| Location | Irvine, North Ayrshire |
| Type | Science Centre |
| Visitors | 50,000 (2003) |
| Director | John Moorhouse |
| Architect | Ian Russell |
The Big Idea was a science centre located in the town of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Located on the former Nobel Explosives manufacturing site on the Ardeer Peninsula, a new science and learning centre was planned in 2000 by the Millennium Commission, to celebrate the history of invention and inventors.
An estimated £14 million was spent for the construction of the exhibition. After only 3 years of operation, the museum permanently closed in 2003 after a major decline in visitor numbers. As of 2024, no plans have been made for the former museum's redevelopment and it continues to lie abandoned on the peninsula.