In 2015, the Science Museum of Virginia is slated to add a new events center. But by this fall, it plans to complete a digital upgrade of its IMAX theater, significantly improving astronomy programs and large-format films. In addition, these attractions are expected to transport the Science Museum of Virginia's visitors into new frontiers.
Boost!
This new permanent exhibition challenges museum visitors to examine their bodies, minds and lifestyles through a vast array of interactive features. Tightrope walking explores the body's limits. A sleep chamber illuminates the science of a good night's rest. And other exhibits invite visitors to play as a way of cultivating a well-rounded lifestyle. Scheduled opening: June 2013
Main Story
Helios Because the sun governs all life on earth, its relevance is more than scientific, and this exhibit will take an interdisciplinary approach to examining its many roles in human existence — explorations of astronomy, earth science, weather, culture and energy generation, among others. Scheduled opening: To be determined Mechatronics Shop This planned exhibit — intended to be more of a workshop, actually — will allow visitors to collaborate in a variety of experiences that explore concepts of engineering, manufacturing, computer technology, media, music and more. Scheduled opening: To be determined House of Havoc This is where scientific discovery can get messy in a true physical sense. With this attraction, the museum will invite visitors to conduct hands-on research through creative destruction in a variety of extreme experiments — smashing, burning, freezing or hurling objects — all in the name of better understanding the world's building blocks. Scheduled opening: To be determined Speed A chemical reaction, a race car, a sprinter, a glacier: Everything moves at its own pace, and that's the common thread that ties this multifaceted exhibit together. Visitors can experiment with various objects that probe the motion of everything from human bodies to highly engineered machines. Scheduled opening: fall 2014
