Summary: This hands-on discovery extravaganza teaches about natural history, electronics, marine biology and physical science in terms that everyone can understand and get excited about! Lightning bolts, huge dinosaurs and Boston's Big Dig are just a few of the 450 interactive exhibits waiting for you.

Planning Your Visit
There is so much to see and do at the Museum of Science that we recommend you plan your day carefully. You could easily spend a day in the exhibit halls alone, with three wings, the Discovery Center, Investigate, , the Theater of Electricity, and many temporary installations. When you add the Mugar Omni Theater and the Hayden Planetarium shows, keeping to a schedule is vital.

What You Will See
This museum opens your eyes to the scientific world all around you. For example, a stairway is transformed into a cascade of piano keys that make music as people move up and down; the workings of the escalator are revealed behind a Plexiglas panel; and even the secret inner workings of a real ATM in the lobby are exposed for all to see.

Almost every exhibit is interactive to some degree. There are very few passive, static displays here; everything is touchable, or movable, or listen-able, and even the materials and construction of the exhibits carefully reinforce the scientific principles that are being examined. This is particularly true in The Big Dig, a look at Boston s biggest public works project ever. The walls are made of chain link fence and Jersey barriers, and the floors are plywood, just like a real construction site. You will see a film on Boston's transportation history, see a computer simulation of the new roadways, and take an elevator ride beneath the street to see underground utilities and construction equipment.

Don't miss the Theater of Electricity with its huge Van de Graaff static electricity generator. The twin-towered device is so big that the museum had to construct this building around the equipment instead of the other way around. A scientist conducts an electricity and lightning demonstration that borders on the extreme. You will feel like an extra in an old Frankenstein movie, but relax, you are completely safe. But be warned: the lightning is very loud, and may frighten the unwary or very young.

On the more serene side, we enjoyed a look at the geometry (and philosophy!) of fractals, and an extensive exhibit called The Unseen World , which explored infrared photography, microscopy, polarized light and other such new ways of seeing.

There is an entire section devoted to the development of transportation, from buggies to trains to automobiles to ultralights, and even space ships. Near these is a special interactive showcase on biotechnology. Here you learn how to splice genes, and maybe even create a cure for the common cold!

There are also exhibits on the human body, the habitats of the Northeastern United States, and how math really does affect our everyday lives.

The Discovery Center is a wonderful place exclusively for young children and their parents. This activity area features a maze, a water zone, a Ping-Pong ball tent, a puppet theater, and much, much more. Specially-trained staff is there to assist both kids and parents, and there are lots of special discovery kits, including animal bones and fossils, vials with scents from everywhere, and all kinds of seashells.

The Museum of Science offers so much to see and do, that we are only able to give you a tiny taste of its offerings. At every turn you will find something to amuse or amaze -- or both! This is perhaps the best part of every visit: the renewed sense of awe and wonder that it can bring to even the most jaded among us. On our most recent visit, we took along our favorite four-year-old. Seeing this fantastic place through his eyes made this learning adventure even more special.

The Hayden Planetarium
The Planetarium features several different shows. Currently showing is The Comets are Coming. This adventure takes you into the cosmos to meet some of the more famous (Halley) and not-so-famous (Hale-Bopp) comets of our times. The Planetarium displays a starfield on a curved ceiling which actually simulates the night sky, with powerful lasers to paint pictures for shows that literally explode.

The Planetarium also features special laser shows set to music. If your tastes include the Beatles or Led Zeppelin, or even Metallica or Nirvana, they have a show for you.

The Mugar Omni Theater
This five-story dome contains an Imax movie system, completely surrounding you with the sounds and images of wonderful journeys. The lobby for the theater has glass walls so you can observe the equipment, and watch the giant film running through the projection system while you wait. The best seats in the theater are in the middle, so it s prudent to arrive 15 or 20 minutes early (depending on the crowds) to make sure your place in line is assured.

When to Go
The museum was pleasantly full on a recent Sunday afternoon, but there were never lines to watch exhibits. We recommend avoiding the museum during school vacation weeks. For hours, admission fees and exhibit information visit the museum's web site.

How to Get There
By subway, take the Green Line to Science Park and walk over the traffic circle on the sky ramp, then walk about two blocks past the police station. The museum also has a large parking garage with reasonable (for Boston!) rates. There is no on-street parking in the vicinity.

By Judith Otto

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