My family and I are admittedly not that big on museums. When we travel, we tend to visit attractions that are outdoors, or we explore a new-to-us area via foot, bike, skis, raft or zipline. But during our long weekend in Denver last fall, we decided to check out a Mile-High City landmark: the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Checking in and choosing virtual "buddies" at Expedition Health.
After fooling around in the kid-centric Discovery Zone for a while, surveying the massive display of Gems & Minerals, and moseying through Egyptian Mummies, we discovered the mother lode for active families: Expedition Health. In an nutshell, this recently revamped permanent exhibit is the best section of the museum for kids (and grown-ups) who like to learn through doing.
Expedition Health, which re-launched in April 2009, is in a 10,000-square foot space offering visitors an intimate look at how their own bodies function. Doubly cool and super-relevant to Colorado visitors: the exhibit uses a hiking expedition a theme for teaching.
Upon entering the exhibit, you’re given a Peak Pass to “sign in” to the expedition and choose an “expedition buddy.” These new friends you encounter on video screens throughout the exhibit are actual people who went on a long hike up Mount Evans, so the adventures they share with museum guests are authentic. Choose your expedition buddy according to whom you might best relate: options include a middle-aged mom, senior citizen, cute 20-something young woman and kids.
My son gets his height and arm span measured.
Throughout the exhibit you check in with your “expedition buddy” at different stations, where your endurance might be tested or your body measured. For example, you insert your personalized Peak Pass (the size and shape of a credit card) into a station where you grip a bar to generate your own electrocardiogram; that measurement is recorded and when you’re finished going through the exhibit, you’ll get a personal profile printout containing stats from all the different activities.
My kids had such fun having their “wingspan” measured and their walking/running gait videotaped. They measured their heart rate while pedaling a stationary bike and checked skin temperature when it was exposed to wind. I think we giggled most doing trying to Control Your Brain Waves — where we sat across from one another at a table, each trying to relax our brains more than the other person. With electrodes on our heads that measured alpha and theta brain waves, the types produced by a calm brain, we moved a ball across the table via a magnet. Honestly, I don’t fully understand how this works, but the photo ops — especially of my son assuming the Zen ommmmm yoga pose — were funny:
Another highlight: the BodyTrek Theater, where you find yourself on an expedition up a 14,000-foot peak — watching a video narrated by an expert mountain guide. But you’re also experiencing the hike with neat effects: you feel the wind blow and snow fall. Your interactive seats are equipped with sensors that take your pulse and measure the oxygen content of your blood. Really, really cool.
At Biology Base Camp, kids dress in lab coats and goggles to collect and examine their own cheek cells, test and compare the sugar content of cereals (yessss!) and see how drugs affect heart rate. Unfortunately, we found this corner of the exhibit toward the end of the museum’s closing time, and didn’t have a chance to do these cool hands-on activities. Same with the way awesome See Yourself Age station, where your face is virtually subjected to damage caused by smoking, sunlight and obesity; the line was ridiculously long for this nifty stop — next time!
My bottom-line advice: Get your family to Expedition Health, on Level 2 of the museum, as soon as the doors open, daily at 9 a.m. Of course, if you have a preschooler who’s obsessed with dinosaurs, you’ll want to hit Prehistoric Journey, and if your child is fascinated with rocket ships, be sure to visit Space Odyssey. The IMAX Theater and Gates Planetarium are well worth the extra ticket fee, and through July 18 the amazing Body Worlds & The Story of The Heart is on display….
Oh, heck. Just plan to stay the entire day at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. (But don’t miss Expedition Health.)
My oldest would absolutely love this – hiking and science – his two favorite things. Sometimes with interactive exhibits like this stuff doesn’t work or the lesson is too complicated for kids to learn. It doesn’t sound like that was the case here, which makes it even more cool.
We’re total museum geeks! We should check this out this summer.
I love places where you can learn about science this way:) My family needs to visit the attraction that tells how much sugar is in cereal, but I’m not sure I really want to know!
We have occasion to be in Colorado a couple of times in the next year or so. Thanks for sharing all the great places to visit.
We ARE a museum-going family, and my kids would love this one!! Well, as long as the gift shop is well-stocked.
What a great museum for kids.
Very fun. As Mara says, interactive exhibits either work or they don’t. This one sounds like a winner.
We’re more like you- outdoor activities- but museums are great options for “bad weather” days. This one looks like ti was great fun!
My kids LOVE science museums! Of course, at ages 2 & 5 it’s a bit more about how many buttons they can press than actually learning toooo much, but still…it’s fun! I know they’d get a kick out of the dinosaur exhibit!
Perfect for our few hours in Denver!
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Excellent recommendation. I was already going to go for the “Real Pirates” but now will expand our horizons. Thank you!!!
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