Denver Museum of Nature & Science's Expedition Health: Final Research Report

In April 2009, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) opened an innovative human biology exhibition with a focus on health: Expedition Health. The visitor experience is themed around a climb up Mount Evans—one of Colorado’s well known “fourteeners” (14,258 feet in elevation). The exhibition utilizes nine real‐life Coloradans as “expedition buddies”—virtual learning companions who accompany visitors throughout the exhibition. The exhibition combines hands‐on, fullbody activities and real anatomical specimens throughout five different specialized learning environments. These environments include an area for early learners (age five and under) to explore using their minds and bodies, a stage for live performances and demonstrations (including dissections), and a working lab where visitors become active participants in health science research. Peak Pass cards customize and record each visitor’s experience, contributing to a personal profile visitors can print and keep at the end of their visit. Following their visit, visitors have access to an extended‐experience website where they can view and manipulate their own Expedition Health data, play videos they made, and much more as they relive their visits and embark on a lifelong health expedition. Through generous support and funding from the Colorado Health Foundation, DMNS contracted with the Institute of Learning Innovation (ILI) to conduct a research study aimed at understanding the impact and outcomes of Expedition Health on its target audience: youth eight to fourteen year old and their families.

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