Next door, there is a reimagined ' Bessie's House' from the old museum, pre-renovation, consisting of a whimsical train station, diner, a spot for Teddy Bear tea, and, my kids' favorite, a cozy campfire space with a tent where you can make shadow puppets and even a mini-treehouse with a slide.īeyond this imaginative play zone, there's a large section called DaVinci's Workshop, meant to inspire kids to combine art and engineering the way the old master did. Second Floor: Imaginative Play, Physics, and Artĭesigned for the under-3 set, the Brain Building Together has manipulative toys for toddlers as well as a nursing room that's a welcome respite for moms. It's a blast to see how fast the objects are sucked through the maze and where they emerge.

The current exhibit is, in my mind, a keeper: a space devoted to building and engineering, complete with large plastic and foam blocks, small manipulatives, and even thematic favorite books, like the Rosie Revere series.īut my kids' number-one interest is always the jaw-dropping AirMaze, which sucks in lightweight objects (foam balls, scarves, etc.) and spits them out, to the delight of all viewers (adults included!) surrounding it.

Maybe most engaging of all was the slanted table with Legos that kids can manipulate to create dams.įarther down the hall, there was a Sound exhibit-wonderfully low-tech, with things like PVC pipes and flip-flops to encourage music-making-a heat-sensor screen that shows kids where their body heat is located, a huge Amethyst geode, and the 1,500-square-foot Changing Exhibits room. There are a handful of carefully designed water tables that take hydro-play well beyond what you could do with spoons and ladles in your own home (and some other museums). There are containers with funnels in which balls get sucked into the middle, and a floor-to-ceiling spout that amazingly suspends balls in the air. Next around the bend is the Water Room-and boy, is it hard to tear kids away. The first thing to notice when walking into the Discovery Museum is how filled with light it is: refreshing for a museum! After checking in, kids will gravitate to the Light & Color room, featuring several small kiosks where children can explore prisms, shadows, and more. First Floor: Color, Water, 'AirMaze', and Building Blocks

Discovery museum acton