The St. Louis Science Center is a major metropolitan science museum serving a population of 2.3 million people. One year ago they moved into a new facility at a new location and attendance at the museum has tripled, reaching 600,00 visitors this past year. The center will develop a "Science Playground" in order to teach basic science principles and process through a series of 45 outdoor participatory exhibitions around the major areas of motion, energy, light, sound and the natural environment. The physics of motion will be explored through exhibits such as a friction slide, lunar gravity swing, double-axis human pendulum, etc. Energy exhibits will provide experiences with watermills and water power, fulcrum leverage and solar energy. Light exploration includes a solar column, prisms and rainbows, soundwheel and whisper discs. A weather station will have a rain gauge, anemometer, a variety of barometers, etc. This contemporary playground concept was developed as a response to limitations of indoor facilities and to extend use of outdoor space in a creative manner. The exhibit will be a model for extending science learning opportunities for schools, parks, other science museums and similar institutions. The center surveyed 31 science centers, 82 parks and 85 school districts to gauge interest in use of science playground exhibits, and found a clear interest in this type of project by all sectors surveyed. Exhibit designs will be published and furnished at cost to any facility wishing to replicate all or any part of the exhibition.
The New York Hall of Science will develop a major exhibition on quantum theory--one of the most important developments in physical science in this century and one which has not been significantly treated by science museums. This exhibition will be the first major museum program to introduce quantum theory and its applications to the public. Elements of the exhibit will include models of the atom, the puzzle of light, applications of the theory and, finally, the human story of the creation of a new theory. Numerous participatory exhibits will be developed in conjunction with the project so that visitors can learn by doing. Formative evaluation will be an integral part of this exhibit. This technique has recently been adopted by museums as a way to test exhibit prototypes with museum visitors and then redesign as necessary. A workshop will be held for museum personnel and a guidebook, Improving Exhibits Through Formative Evaluation, will be produced. This book will be the first complete description of the formative evaluation process and will be a valuable addition to the museum field.