Step inside Bill’s Bubble Factory and watch science take flight! This greenhouse-style lab is a dedicated sensory station designed for exploring the fluid magic of surface tension. Whether you are using the giant Bubble Hoop to pull a shimmering wall of soap film around yourself or experimenting with various wands to create massive orbs, the Bubble Factory provides a protected environment where your creations won’t be blown away by the wind.

This exhibit encourages visitors to learn about physics and light refraction through hands-on sensory play. It’s a space where children develop visual tracking and gross motor skills while testing how different movements affect the life of a bubble. From standing inside a giant bubble to mastering a steady pull on the hoop, the Bubble Factory is the perfect place to explore the fragile beauty of science in motion.

Think like a naturalist and discover the world around you in our dedicated outdoor workshop! This space is a hands-on laboratory and sensory play area that houses a rotating collection of natural materials and "loose parts" found in the wild. Whether you are simmering a "stone soup" in our mud kitchen or using sticks and pinecones to build a miniature forest, this space invites young explorers to see the potential in the environment and use it to build, create, and investigate the natural world.

This exhibit encourages visitors to learn about biology and resourcefulness through the freedom of loose parts play. It provides a tactile way to practice fine motor skills and observation while exploring how different textures, earth, and water can be combined into something new. Whether you are experimenting with "recipes" in the mud kitchen or examining the details of a leaf, Nature's Workshop is the perfect place to turn a bit of the outdoors into a brilliant discovery.

Put your curiosity in gear in our high-energy outdoor roadway! Adventure Ave is the ultimate destination for movement and discovery, where children navigate a winding path filled with sensory challenges and hands-on obstacles. This space provides the tools and the freedom for young explorers to test their physical limits, whether they are crawling through rugged tunnels or hauling "cargo" across the museum grounds in our fleet of heavy-duty Tonka trucks. From navigating the roadway markings to mastering the hand-pump to send water flowing down through the rocky riverbed, this zone is all about the thrill of the journey.

This exhibit encourages visitors to learn about gross motor control, spatial awareness, and cause-and-effect through active, outdoor play. It provides a fast-paced way to experiment with physical navigation and social cooperation while building confidence in a "big-work" environment. Whether you are filling a truck bed at the water pump or racing through the tunnel to your next delivery, Adventure Ave is the perfect place to turn a simple path into a brilliant journey.

Step inside the ribcage of a prehistoric giant and start your excavation! The Mammoth Dig is a massive, immersive discovery site where junior paleontologists can walk through a life-sized mammoth skeleton to reach a deep sand pit filled with hidden treasures. This isn't just a sandbox; it’s a world of discovery where "researchers" find realistic fossils of ancient sea life, ammonites, and prehistoric skulls embedded directly into the rocky walls of the dig site.

This exhibit encourages visitors to practice patience and the scientific method by uncovering clues from the past. Using specialized digging tools and buckets, children learn to differentiate between natural stone and ancient bone, developing an eye for detail and archaeological persistence. Whether you are excavating inside the mammoth's ribs or washing off a new "find" at the water's edge, the Mammoth Dig offers a powerful way to connect with the giants that once roamed our world.

Slow down and rediscover the world through a peaceful garden path designed for quiet exploration. The Sensory Garden offers a vibrant mix of natural textures and interactive art, inviting visitors to engage their senses away from the high-energy "big work" of the roadway. Whether you are feeling the unique surfaces of the plants or pausing to find focus in the visual and auditory surprises tucked along the walkway, this space is all about mindful connection.

This area encourages visitors to explore rhythm and visual perception in a serene, natural setting. Guests can create their own metallic beat on the cajon or watch the world shift through the swirling patterns of the hypnotic disc. Whether you are experimenting with percussive sounds or getting lost in a mesmerizing visual spin, the Sensory Garden provides a calming way to develop sensory processing and discover the subtle beauty of the outdoors.

Launch into a world of high-energy movement in our vibrant blue and yellow active zone! Tumble Land is a specialized environment designed for visitors to explore the limits of their own balance and physical confidence. Featuring a custom "squish pad" surface for soft landings and high-speed spinners that stand out in bright yellow, this space provides the freedom for children to jump, twirl, and tumble in a safe, open-air setting.

This exhibit encourages visitors to develop vestibular input, physical boundaries, and rhythm through vigorous play. It provides a joyful way to experiment with gravity and momentum while building gross motor strength and social turn-taking. Whether you are mastering a dizzying spin or practicing your biggest leap onto the safety surfacing, Tumble Land is the perfect place to explore the power of movement and find your physical flow.

Step into the world of the great outdoors and set up your base camp! The Discovery Campground is a vibrant, forest-themed environment designed for imaginative role-play and physical grit. This zone features a dedicated camp fire area where young explorers can gather to tell stories or practice their "survival" skills in a safe, social setting. Surrounding the camp are rugged, realistic climbing boulders positioned specifically for children to test their strength, grip, and coordination against the backdrop of a colorful city mural.

This area encourages visitors to learn about physical resilience and social ingenuity as they navigate the natural shapes of the rocks and cooperate at the campsite. From scaling the boulder "peak" to surveying the campground from above, it provides a tactile way to develop gross motor control and physical confidence. Whether you are "cooking" at the camp fire or mastering a tricky climbing route, the Discovery Campground is the perfect place to explore the power of your own adventurous vision.

Construct your own secret world in our signature outdoor hideout!Fort Gilbert is a dedicated space designed for both hands-on building and creative relaxation. This area features a system of canvas panels and clips that can be put up in all sorts of ways, allowing you to engineer a custom outdoor retreat. Whether you're hanging a hammock to lounge in or using oversized blocks to build a towering fortress, this is the place to design a space that is entirely your own.

This exhibit encourages visitors to explore structural design and spatial problem-solving through open-ended play. It provides a unique balance of physical movement and creative focus, giving children the tools to shift from active building to resting in a private, self-made sanctuary. Whether you are clipping up a new hideaway or masterminding a layout with the blocks, Fort Gilbert is the perfect place to design and build your own adventure.

Climb through a giant work of art and find your way to the finish! The Erector Set Maze is a towering, industrial-inspired playground that pays tribute to the legendary inventions of A.C. Gilbert. This massive structure invites explorers to navigate a complex grid of silver metal beams and platforms, testing their spatial awareness and physical confidence as they climb higher and higher.

Because the challenge is designed to grow with you, the maze features three exciting slides positioned at different levels throughout the structure. You can choose a quick descent from the mid-level blue slide or venture to the very top to find the highest exit point. This exhibit encourages visitors to build physical resilience and problem-solving skills as they map out their own unique route through the silver grid. Whether you are racing a friend to the bottom or surveying the entire Outdoor Discovery Area from the highest platform, the Erector Set Maze is the ultimate destination for active adventurers.

Discover the physics of fun on the towering ramps of our industrial maze! Located directly on the silver metal structure of the Erector Set Maze, the Ball Run is an interactive engineering exhibit where visitors can experiment with gravity and motion. This vibrant blue wall features a complex system of flexible silver tubes, colorful funnels, and clear tracks that let you trace the path of every ball as it races toward the bottom.

This exhibit encourages visitors to explore cause and effect and kinetic energy through hands-on play. Adding a layer of unpredictability, the plinko aspect of the clear peg boards sends balls bouncing in different directions, challenging young scientists to predict where they will land. Whether you are dropping a ball into a high funnel or catching it as it drops into the collection bins below, the Ball Run is the perfect place to explore the power of physics in action.