Fortopia

The ultimate fort-building challenge awaits! Fortopia is a dedicated construction zone featuring a tall bunk bed structure that provides multiple levels for building, climbing, and creative hideout design. Using an array of cushions, fabrics, clips, and connectors, young engineers design massive soft forts while developing spatial planning and collaborative problem-solving skills. 

Drape fabrics to create walls, roofs, and secret tunnels. Secure connections using simple clips and fasteners while testing structural stability. Climb to the upper bunk to survey your creation from above or crawl through lower passages in your custom fortress. Every fort-building session involves engineering decisions about gravity, tension, support systems, and architectural design. 

Whether creating a cozy reading nook, an elaborate multi-room headquarters, or a challenging obstacle course, Fortopia teaches that building isn't just about the end result - it's about the planning, testing, modifying, and teamwork that brings imaginative structures to life. 

    • Tall Bunk Bed: A permanent structure providing vertical levels for fort building 

    • Fort Supplies: Clips, fabrics, and diverse building materials 

    • Climbing Landscape: Multi-level surfaces designed for physical navigation 

    • Engineering: Designing stable hideouts and using simple connectors to secure fabrics 

    • Physical Abilities: Developing gross motor skills through climbing and crawling 

    • Physics: Exploring gravity, tension, and support systems 

    • STEAM Skills: Focuses on Engineering and Physics 

    • Physical Input: Active climbing and maneuvering through tight spaces 

    • Tangible World: Testing the strength and durability of different fort designs 

    • Dramatic Play: Creating "secret bases" and imaginary headquarters 

Explore More 

This exhibit is located in Gilbert House. Also explore: Grandma's Clubhouse | USS Gilbert 

  • Young boy with short hair smiling and crawling under a bed with colorful blankets and curtains.
  • A young girl with braided hair smiling and crawling through a small fort or playhouse made of furniture, with toy and household items visible in the background.
  • A young girl with long hair, wearing a blue shirt, beige shorts, and sneakers, standing inside a colorful room with cushions and cloths, holding a large piece of fabric.
  • A young girl with blonde hair and a colorful dress looks through the wooden bars of a colorful play structure.
  • A young boy with short brown hair, wearing a black hoodie, is pulling back a red fabric curtain in a brightly colored indoor play area. In the background, another child with dark hair and a blue hoodie is holding a blue toy. The play space has yellow, blue, and orange walls, with a bed or cushion visible in the upper right corner.
  • A girl sitting on a colorful indoor play structure with yellow, orange, and blue components, smiling at the camera.