I Was A Geologist!

When I was little, I was fascinated by rocks. I loved exploring the colors and textures.I would collect the rocks I found prettiest. I built up a sizable collection of obsidian from Yellowstone without my parents realizing – which, given that it’s illegal, led to a pretty stern talking-to when they found out. After that discussion...

Conquering The Pulley Chairs

Maria*, a first-grader, steps up to a strange machine in the center of WonderLab’s first floor. She looks at it, intimidated but determined to prove that she can conquer this contraption. Her first challenge is height; the seat she must climb on in order to proceed is a foot-and-a-half above the ground - to her,...

Great Balls of Fire

There is one WonderLab exhibit that you always have to reach out and touch. It stands right in the entrance to the gallery. Playing with it is almost like a rite of passage. It consists of a long wire running to the ceiling and a stack of four balls of descending size. Lift the stack...

Through the Grapevine

Few exhibits are as iconic, as synonymous with “WonderLab,” as the Grapevine Climber, donated by Oliver Winery around the time WonderLab first opened the doors at its present location. The Grapevine is a climbing exhibit that people of all ages, shapes, and sizes can crawl through. It is almost impossible to miss, and is impossible...

Nailed It!

The first floor of the WonderLab has a whimsical, eclectic appearance with bright colors, exhibits of all shapes and sizes and kids running everywhere.  Even with all this bustle and activity my eye is naturally drawn to the shimmery display in the back of the room. There sits, in all its glory, one of WonderLab’s...

Rays from Outer Space!

When I first started writing this blog post, I was nervous because there’s something about Cosmic Rays that really freaks people out. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Who wants to think about rays from space constantly bombarding earth, passing through your body? When you stand and watch the Cosmic Dance tiles in WonderLab’s lobby, you...

A GIANT MECHANICAL CRANE!!!

While WonderLab has a number of exciting and eye-catching exhibits, none has ever struck me as much as the Giant Mechanical Crane on the second floor. Signified by a yellow wire cage surrounding a building area, it’s a deceptively simple-looking exhibit. There are no instructions. Visitors, or interns like me, have to sit down and...

The Beauty of Nature

There are many miraculous and marvelous things in nature, but one thing that fascinates me is how symmetrical nature can be. WonderLab recently stoked that fascination with a brand new exhibit. On the second floor, conveniently placed near the Video Kaleidoscope (another example of pleasing symmetry - drop by and check it out), is a...

My Fascination with the Animation Station

What I really love about the Animation Station is that it reminds me how technology and science often combine to create art.

The Weird and Wonderful Theremin

If you stand on the second floor of WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology, you may hear a strange, eerie noise. Don’t worry, aliens aren’t invading! The wailing you can hear even over the sounds of the Xylopipes and the Heartbeat Drum is actually a musical instrument. That small yellow tower next to the...