Good-for-Kids Rating

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Oregon Museum of Science and Industry Description

Visiting the OMSI is fantastic fun for the whole family. There's the Science Playground where kids ages 0-6 conduct experiments (like playing with "flubber" and watching scientists make "oobleck"), play in the sand, and build cool things with crazy-shaped blocks. There are also planetarium shows and IMAX movies, a Grand Prix raceway/glacier sledding/volcano mine cart motion simulator (cool!), a tour of the USS Blueback submarine, and tons of other neat stuff. Even the escalators in the open, airy entrance are fun to ride on.

Kid Tips

Babies: There's plenty to stimulate a baby, with all the bright lights, sounds, and colors in this museum. Science Playground is a quieter place, specially designed for ages 0-6.

Toddlers & Pre-K: Some of the exhibits (ones about the human body that shows skeletons and floating fetuses) may be a little scary, especially for preschoolers. To be on the safe side, start at the Science Playground and ask a staff member for guidance.

School-Age Kids: This museum is perfect for an inquisitive school-aged child (much is geared toward them), so plan to give your budding learners lots of time to explore.

Pre-Teens & Teens: IMAX movies, a darkened planetarium, and laser shows will be particularly engaging for older kids.

Planning Notes

Food is allowed. The café in the museum serves entrées like tofu stir-fry and grab-and-go sandwiches, but you can also bring your own food. Science Playground has pint-size picnic tables for toddler snacking and there are benches to sit on throughout the museum. Plus your kids might be as interested in people-watching as in participating (all that interactive educational stuff generates a hardy appetite).

Buy show tickets online. There's nothing quite as disappointing as a sold-out show you've been dying to see, and the IMAX, laser, and planetarium shows are pretty popular. Buy tickets (at least 24 hours in advance) online at www.ticketing.omsi.edu

Don't try to see everything. There's so much in this museum to fascinate kids that yours may want to stay in one area for a long time. The rotating exhibits are geared toward different age groups and might not appeal to everyone, so don't plan to hit every corner of the museum.

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