McWane Center
Birmingham, Alabama
By: Jerry Smith
Publisher: StClairCountyAl.com
Date: 02/01/10
Mr. Wizard would have loved McWane Center. This wondrous place is loaded with neat, hands-on equipment that illustrates practically every facet of physical science in ways kids will enjoy, and remember. How I wish such places had existed when I was young; I'd have gladly camped there for a week!
Visitors can stick their hand into a miniature tornado, use mechanical advantage to lift themselves right off the floor with little effort, experiment with aerodynamic forces on a remote controlled airplane in a wind tunnel, and keep a bizarre electric motor spinning by pushing a switch at exactly the right time. The more adventurous can touch live sharks and sting rays, dig for fossils, mess up their sisters' hair with an air cannon, lie on a bed of spikes, see their own ghost, look inside their ear or nose, and ride a bicycle on a cable high in the air. And those are just for starters.
The McWane Docent program offers highly entertaining, pointedly educational lab demonstrations of man-made lightning and other wondrous aspects of applied science in a large, stadium-seated labatorium. In fact, practically everything at McWane is either hands-on or demonstrated right before your children's' eyes. Everything is clearly labeled and explained in completely understandable language. For unanswered questions, a knowledgeable staff member is never far away.
If your family has never experienced an IMAX presentation, be prepared for a sensory deluge! The IMAX screen is a huge bowl that reaches beyond every corner of your vision, with matching audio system of extraordinary power that permeates the room with sound and vibration, yet never offends the ear. To say it's like actually being in the scene is an understatement.
McWane's outer lobby has lots of interesting sights you can experience free of charge, such as a glassed-in roomf
ul of chutes, chains, motors and levers that does nothing more than keep several dozen wooden balls moving noisily through an ingenious maze of tracks and obstacles. In another kinetic display, a large array of wheels with sliding discs upon them rotate randomly in ever-changing patterns. There's always a few free exhibits on the mezzanine floor to entertain while waiting for the next IMAX film to start.
The Center's store has a vast array of neat stuff any kid would drool over, including all kinds of scientific kits and models. Prices range from a few cents to many several dollars, but all are excellent educational and fun values; hardly anyone leaves this store without buying something.
It's hard to find a place that delivers more bang for the buck than McWane Center, whatever your age.
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Photos taken by Jerry Smith
Top Right: Alabama Dinosaur
Middle Left: Main Science Hall
Bottom Right:: Man-made Lightening Show