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Explore over 300 Interactive Exhibits!

Would you like to soar through the sky in a jet, then explore the universe? Would you like to forecast the weather in a television studio? Or show off your coordination and dance moves on a fitness floor? How about using your own body to generate electricity? You can even go outside to our Rock River Discovery Park and navigate the two-story maze, search for dinosaur fossils and make a splash in the water play area.

When you visit Discovery Center Museum, you and your family can explore the world, and even the universe, without ever leaving our inspiring environment. The thrill of exploration and discovery is built into every one of our 300-plus hands-on science and arts exhibits located inside Discovery Center Museum and outside in our Rock River Discovery Park.

power exhibitThe impressive power of electricity is displayed by a multitude of exhibits in the Power of Electricity gallery.

At the Power it Up exhibit, operate hand-cranked generators to provide the power to make a clock, TV, blender and hairdryer in a house-shaped structure work. Once you generate enough power, you can share the electricity to power a ceiling fan.

You’ll be entranced with the Plasma Globe as you watch this glass globe filled with electrified gases that create bright, violet lightning bolts that respond to your touch.

Launch aluminum rings propelled by a magnetic field at the Ring Launcher.  At the Circuits exhibit, learn about and experiment with electric circuits as you configure components to power different lights, bells, fans and motors.

At the Wind Build and Test interactive station, you design and construct a wind turbine from an assortment of different styles of blades and components. A wind tunnel allows you to test the efficiency of the wind turbine you constructed.

Learn how nuclear power generates electricity and see what’s inside the Byron Generating Station (nuclear power plant).

 

 

Discovery Center gratefully acknowledges the following contributors to Power of Electricity:

comed logoexcelon foundation logo

and the "Public Museum Capital Grants Program" – Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois State Museum