There's a place in New York -- in Flushing, Queens, to be precise -- that makes you feel as if you have stepped into the future. This great place is the New York Hall of Science, located in Flushing Meadows Park in Queens.
A little background history: the Hall of Science was first built as a pavilion for the 1964 World's Fair, but it proved to be so popular, that long after the fair ended, the Science Hall was left as a sort of Science Museum. And it has now sort of become New York City's hands-on science and technology center.
The place can be reached by bus, car or train. But your best bet is by train, to avoid the hassles of parking. Taking the number 7 train to the 111th Street Station, and then walking three blocks south, going down 111th street, gets you there. You have to pay a reasonable fee to enter and then the fun begins!
Last summer, myself and a small family group went to visit, and there were so many wonderful science exhibits, the great majority of them interactive, that we had to map out a strategy so that we could see the most interesting ones that day. Because believe me -- you need more than one day to enjoy all the different exhibits.
For children of all ages, to me, the best exhibit is the Science Playground, which is outdoors. Here I remember, we were able to explore, hands-on, several scientific principles of sound, water, sun, wind, balance, motion, sight--as well as use simple machines to illustrate other principles. It was so much fun, that you forgot you were learning and actually testing science!
For example there are a series of mirrors that once you turn them toward the sun, you focus the sunlight on certain small targets hooked up to small windmills. This causes these windmills to turn, which as they turn -- cause connected pipes to release a mist of water on the people on that part of the playground. There are also balancing boards, that depending how you step on them and move, produce different musical notes. And other fun stuff.
Of the exhibits that are inside, there are so many that you interact with -- that it's not possible for me to list them all. I can only mention some of our favorites. One of those was this machine that told you how much you weigh -- in gallons of water. There's also an exhibit that lets you leave your shadow imprint on a white wall. Another one, lets you create a whole symphony of sounds and music, just by stepping and moving in front of this screen that is activated by your motion.
My family had a real fun time, which is why this is a place that we go to every year. Because apart from the permanent exhibits, they always have new things and events that illustrate one scientific principle or the other, in a fun and interesting way. And, for those that want more, they offer -- for children and adults, all sorts of teaching events, all geared towards making science and technology more open and accessible to the general public.
This is one of those places, that if you want to see the future of science and technology develop right before your eyes, you should not hesitate to visit it. You can find the details of how to get there and the other information about it on the Internet. if you love science and technology, do not miss visiting this place, you will not regret it!
