Square Footage: 17,000 sq. ft.
Exploration is an innate human quest to answer three profound questions:
Where did we come from? Where are we going? Are we alone?
In Explore: Blue Planet • Red Planet, Museum guests will venture to the great exploration frontiers of the 21st century—extreme environments on Earth, the Moon and Mars—to discover a new definition of life and a greater sense of humankind's place in the universe. A combination of hands-on, interactive experiences and educational programming will offer one-of-a-kind learning opportunities to children and adults.
Museum Guests Will:
- Meet the people who are pushing the limits of human endurance to unlock the remaining untouched frontiers on Earth and test the cutting-edge equipment and gear used in their advanced exploration.
- Be immersed in a 360-degree theatrical experience that allows them to "visit" the deepest reaches of our Earth and space—the bottom of our oceans, vast caves, Antarctica, the moon and ultimately Mars—to uncover life in the most unlikely of places.
- Experience the reduced gravity of the Moon and Mars.
- Realize how studying other planets informs our understanding of our own—and discover how everyone can be an explorer.
Education Opportunities:
A close working relationship between the Museum's education professionals and exhibit designers results in opportunities for the development of unique educational opportunities for teachers, students and guests while the exhibit is still in the design phase.
- Informed by real caving expeditions, programming in the Cave Experience will invite guests to discover extreme life forms that have made caves their homes.
- In the Arctic Research Station, students will be able to participate in a live video conference with scientists working in Antarctica, and facilitators will provide geological information about real Mars meteors.
- Education facilitators will "plug-in" to interactive stations to showcase the latest news, imagery and objects to guests.
Exciting Hands-On Learning:
- Bio-Suit System
- A cutting-edge new Bio-Suit system could revolutionize space travel.
Exhibit Advisory Committee:
The concept of human exploration continues to fascinate and excite our guests. At the same time, new technologies developed by explorers and researchers continue to be adapted for every day use in solving problems related to living in many areas on Earth, where extreme temperatures and lack of water affect quality of life. We invited some of the country's most prominent experts in many areas of exploration to help us develop Explore: Blue Planet • Red Planet, an exhibit that will provide relevant and cutting-edge science content while allowing children and adults an open-ended and exciting way to learn about current and future opportunities for exploration.
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about the museum
The Museum of Science and Industry opened its doors in 1933 and is the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere.