After a long wait exacerbated by construction delays and funding uncertainties, Miami area science enthusiasts have cause to rejoice. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science opened just north of downtown Miami in May 2017. It’s not far from the highly-esteemed Perez Art Museum and Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. The 05 million, 250,000-square-foot Museum Park structure blows its long-standing Coconut Grove predecessor out of the water. Here’s a look at some highlights of the new Frost Museum, a 20-minute drive from AMLI’s Dadeland.
Frost Museum Aquarium
The Frost Museum aquarium contains an array of captivating highlights. Devil rays, hammerhead and tiger sharks, and mahi-mahi can be spotted in the three-level, 500,000-gallon tank. A 31-foot oculus lens beneath the tank enables visitors to view the aquarium’s marine life from the perspective of a shark on the hunt. Other highlights include mangrove forests and a live coral collection, where visitors can touch live mollusks, sea stars, urchins, and more.
Feathers to the Stars
This stellar exhibit explores the history and execution of flight. From the earliest known flying reptiles to the advent of space exploration and development of modern airplane technology, everything’s covered. A permanent highlight of the exhibit is a 30-foot long, life-size replica of the jurrasic Yutyrannus, or “feathered tyrant.” Another highlight of the exhibit is a Northrop 5-FB Freedom Fighter, a supersonic jet on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Inventors in Residence Lab
Inventors in Residence is a science prize competition and residency program designed to support groundbreaking inventions in their early stages. The program’s first two winning projects are focused on coral restoration and resilency and automated detection of environmental carcinogens. Each project received 00,000 in grant money to use during a one-year residency at the Frost Museum of Science. Visitors can observe inventors at work daily between 11am and 3pm.
MeLaβ
This fascinating exhibit is designed to help visitors better understand the mind-body connection. Through activities in five interactive zones, explore how you eat, move, relax, learn, and connect with others and the world around you. Activities include timed brain teasers and a relax pod that can help you identify what type of music best induces relaxation in you.
Planetarium
Fly to outer space and beyond with an immersive Frost Planetarium viewing experience. The 250-seat observatory’s large, domed screen is tilted forward at a 23.5-degree angle. The tilt enables images to move across a viewer’s entire field of vision, wrapping the viewer in the experience. Surround sound and a 16-million-color 8K visual system with six 3D-capable projectors further optimize the viewing experience. The Frost Planetarium is an engrossing place to learn about mountains, oceans, outer space, the human body, and other biological and ecological wonders.
River of Grass
The Everglades exhibit on aquarium’s Vista level is both educational and fascinating. A separate exhibit, River of Grass, offers a glimpse into tropical wetlands life through a virtual Everglades ecosystem. Children especially enjoy interacting with and observing virtual otters, gators, and birds.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst