While kids are immune to the charms of museums holding art and other esoteric material, science museums, with hands-on exhibits, are another story entirely. Just tell children they'll be able to experience an earthquake, play hide-and-seek with a robot, build a bridge or examine a cat mummy, and they'll be ready to go. One museum they're sure to get a kick out of is the Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE
BOSTON, MA: When you think of a physics laboratory, you probably don't picture your local park. At Boston's Museum of Science, Science in the Park offers visitors a park-like activity area where they can run, jump, swing and use familiar objects (playground equipment, bicycle parts, skateboards) to investigate the pushes and pulls of everyday life: the forces that set things in motion, stop their motion or hold them in place. In Sidewalk Science, for instance, try shooting a ball upward from a cart when it is moving. Or perform some experimental collisions, crashing vehicles and measuring speeds before and after the impact. In Playground Science, observe harmonic motion by hopping onto swings to measure how long it takes to go back and forth. (Does it always takes the same amount of time?) And what would a playground be without seesaws and slides? Try balancing with someone on a fulcrum, or race balls on different slopes to determine which is the fastest. Call 617-723-2500 for more information.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.
