Opening April 2009!
Through interactive exhibits and lab experiments, live demonstrations and programs, and immersive theater experiences, visitors in Expedition Health will learn what makes their own bodies function, and why even small changes can lead to improved health and vitality. The unifying theme in Expedition Health that holds these diverse elements together is ideally suited to Colorado: Visitors will take their own virtual expedition to the peak of Mount Evans. As visitors journey through the gallery, the expedition story serves as a backdrop for what they are actively doing, seeing and measuring in their complex, constantly changing bodies.
The 10,000-square-foot Expedition Health gallery is organized into five major components:
When visitors arrive at Expedition Health, they are issued a "Peak Pass" that allows them to record their own anatomy, health and performance data at an array of interactive stations. The core components in Expedition Health offer insights into human biology and health in delightful and entertaining ways that involve the entire body. As they exit, visitors can print a souvenir Personal Profile featuring their data logged at the interactive stations.
In the participatory BodyTrek Theater, visitors will get a visceral and engaging look at how the body reacts to conditions at high altitude during a trek up Mount Evans. The theater layout and 130-degree panoramic screen format wraps the audience in dramatic imagery, light and sound—while offering important biological and health information—in ways that conventional exhibits or film cannot.
This authentic, participatory laboratory is designed to appeal to everyone who visits Expedition Health. Donning lab coats, gloves and goggles, visitors test their own hypotheses using the same equipment and microscopes found in research laboratories. Adjacent to the lab is a Community Research Lab where visitors can participate in actual experiments with the Museum's academic partners.
The hub of facilitated educational experiences in Expedition Health, the Summit Science Stage is designed to give visitors opportunities to participate in health demonstrations and programs, and discuss science and health topics with Museum experts.
An area expressly designed for young learners under age five, Tykes Peak provides a mix of full-body activity, dramatic play and multisensory experiences, along with information for parents and caregivers about the biological basis of behavior seen when children play.