The Adventure Science Center Nashville, TN serves about 340,000 visitors annually. Their many exhibits include Space Chase, Bodyquest, Bluemax, Adventure Tower and Mission Impossible with feature exhibits that change so there is always something new to see and do. Additionally, there is a planetarium with various shows daily and special evening shows as well.
My nine year old daughter and I recently visited the Adventure Science Center. Walking through the exhibits we were met with educational eye candy and opportunities for interactive learning. We spent several hours wandering throughout the building playing as we went. We came away with a new sense of wonder for science and a satisfied feeling. Any family walking through the exhibits will enjoy having a shared family experience.
It takes several hours wandering throughout the Adventure Science Center building to see all the exhibits. You can plan one whole long day if you and your family have the endurance. However, you can plan several shorter visits if you have very little ones who may not hold out that long.
The Adventure Science Center now has a new, full-service Subway® restaurant on the second floor in the Skyline Café. The Subway® is open during all hours the Science Center is open to the public They have fresh made to order sandwiches, salads and also personal pizzas. Visitors may choose to bring a packed lunch instead which you can eat in the Skyline Café or choose to enjoy in the outdoor picnic area located off the lower parking area. You can also choose to leave the Adventure Science Center to get a meal anywhere. However, if you leave and want to return the same day you will need a hand stamp and to show your receipt or printed ticket for re-admission.
The Space Chase exhibit is a collection of  multi-touch technology, gaming, imaging and other media with many hands on experiences and opportunities to learn. The Star Walk gives you a deep space simulation in the dark surrounded by hundreds of tiny stars on all sides, above and below. Cosmic Ray’s is a space game based on your knowledge of space trivia. On the Solar Projection Table you can see images of sunspots and solar flares up close. On the Infrared Wall you will see a projection of yourself and your family in infrared so you can see the hot and cold spots on your body. The Space Imaging station is a 100-inch multi touch table on which you can move images through  the different wavelengths of the EM spectrum ( radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma ray) and compare their appearance.
The Bodyquest exhibit demonstrates how your body systems work. There is a mini med center and a real ambulance in which to play. The Heart of It All has a ten-feet-tall beating heart and the Blood Stream uses water to show how blood flows through the body. The Big Catch lets you manipulate a giant robotic hand and wrist in order to grasp a giant ball. You can toss balls that represent food Down the Hatch into a giant mouth and watch them go through the entire digestive system and out of the body or ride down the colorectal slide. Brain Storm is an enormous brain where you find out what areas of the brain are in control of actions and thoughts and a  Mind Ball game allows you to control a ball by controlling your thoughts.  Open Wide is set of giant teeth, with a toothbrush where can practice brushing and flossing and learn about good dental hygiene. Body Battles is an interactive laser game that shows how the immune system works. You have sign up in advance of play, but this was the most fun we had all day. The Wind Pipe is an oversized model of the human respiratory system to explore. The Amazing Aging Machine is a face-altering photo booth that show how your children will look as they age.
The Adventure Tower is a four story jungle gym on which your kids can play. It is packed full of different hands on learning activities from top to bottom. At the top of the Adventure tower you can get a spectacular view of Nashville’s skyline. The Kinetic Wall offers you a chance to a path for a ball to jump, spin, twirl, and drop. The Tessellation Wall allows you to manipulate shapes to create unique patterns of color. You can walk inside a giant guitar pluck the strings and feel the vibration. You can walk on a giant keyboard and dance a tune. The Shadow Wall will freeze your shadow on the  wall. At the Parachute Drop, you can learn how air resistance helps parachutes drop slowly by dropping a miniature parachute. The Heart Crawl is a giant heart to crawl through as if you are the blood inside. The Vertebrae Ladder is a back bone  ladder to climb. there is a Bicycle Elevator. You pedal the bike and the elevator goes up and down. With a simple Lever you can lift a car off the ground. These are some of the many entertaining activities on the Adventure Tower.
The Planetarium offers many different experiences as well. They are currently showing Forces of Nature, Skies over Nashville, and Skywatchers of Africa. In addition to these shows there are cosmic concert laser shows. In order to find out the current offerings and get a schedule simply visit the Adventure Science Center Nashville, TN web site. You can also check out the gift shop onsite or on line. Of course if you need to know the hours of operation they are available online as well.
In the clean and family friendly environment you’ll come away with a new sense of wonder for science. If you are looking for something to do with the whole family in middle Tennessee visit the Adventure Science Center Nashville, TN.
Rating by leanne: stars
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