October 8 we took a field trip to Lynchburg's
Amazement Square, a great adventure. They took an old warehouse near the James River and created an innovative and creative museum especially for kids. We were joined by one other family. The historic nature of the area requires them to leave the painted on advertisements on the buildings. One of the signs on their building has something to do with killing bugs, so they have taken upon themselves a pro-bug mascot - as a result there are two bug sculptures outside their building. Here we are in front of one.
J. is standing in front a donor wall. There are three like this one where the buttons stick out. The kids can push them or lean on them. When they are done they pull the handle and they all come out again. One stand alone wall has buttons on the front and back. J. is doing a body impression above.
Here is the after picture. The names of the donors are written one letter on each button.
Here is A. walking up the steps. They light up. You've got to see this!
Electric circuit puzzles. They thought they didn't work. About half had batteries and the others had generators. Once they were connected right they worked just fine. In the same room were giant marble rolls of various types. Golf balls were used instead of marbles and one demonstrated how balls going down a spiral pick up speed. Another went up a hill and then down a hill three times with the hills getting smaller and smaller. There were magnetic walls with paths for the golf balls to follow.
This is a hair dryer with a ping pong ball balanced on it. She is trying to make a basket with it.
This is J. actually balancing a ping pong ball on the air from a hair dryer.
There was a healthy body exhibit. This is me racing A. on bicycles connected to a machine that shows who is winning.
A., my competitor.
The race is on.
Here is B. and D. dong the same race.
The picture doesn't show it very well but the middle of this museum is filled with ladders, slides, tubes, etc. so kids can climb up and down the floors. They can go from the second floor (where you come in) down to the first floor or all the way up to the fourth floor without ever going up stairs.
From the fourth floor the kids (and adults-its a little harder the older the muscles are) can climb a little further to an observation deck (enclosed) and look out on the James River. A railroad runs through the parking lot so it is signed warning cars to not park across the tracks or too close to the tracks. The fountain is in the river.
My favorite exhibit is the James River model. There is actually a model of the river and they can make it rain. It gives them an opportunity to explain the water cycle - though they don't wait for the water to evaporate, they just pump it up to the "clouds".
There are wooden boats for the kids to float down the river and there is a rapids direction and a quieter canal side - with locks. The kids can operate the locks, closing the gates, turning the handles that open the water in or out of the locks, then re-open the locks so the boats can go on their way. Or they can just open the gates anyway and flood the river.
B. on the zip line.
B. on the zip line.
J. on the zip line, or under the zip line. She really did do it, the camera was just not quick enough.
J. in the Paint Box. There is this cool room in the first floor that is mirrored on one side and glass on the other three sides. They put a smock on the kids and make them take their shoes off, then they can paint. And paint she did.
Here is the paint. The rules were don't put the wrong color brush back in the paint, no splattering and do have fun.
One of their latest additions is an XBox Rock Band. We took turns doing the drums or the guitar. It was challenging keeping up with the Xbox.
We did go back to the river exhibit again and play some more. Here is a good view of the "clouds". B. and D. are in the background with J. in front.
J. playing with the lock
J. in front of a writing wall.
The other bug at the museum. All in all, I would recommend this as a fun place to take kids. Amazement Square also has tours for schools and groups on various subjects. There was also a display on the heart, the Monacans, architecture, stained glass and silver with a new exhibit opening soon.
October 8 we took a field trip to Lynchburg's Amazement Square, a great adventure. They took an old warehouse near the James River and created an innovative and creative museum especially for kids. We were joined by one other family. The historic nature of the area requires them to leave the painted on advertisements on the buildings. One of the signs on their building has something to do with killing bugs, so they have taken upon themselves a pro-bug mascot - as a result there are two bug sculptures outside their building. Here we are in front of one.
J. is standing in front a donor wall. There are three like this one where the buttons stick out. The kids can push them or lean on them. When they are done they pull the handle and they all come out again. One stand alone wall has buttons on the front and back. J. is doing a body impression above.
Here is the after picture. The names of the donors are written one letter on each button.
Here is A. walking up the steps. They light up. You've got to see this!
Electric circuit puzzles. They thought they didn't work. About half had batteries and the others had generators. Once they were connected right they worked just fine. In the same room were giant marble rolls of various types. Golf balls were used instead of marbles and one demonstrated how balls going down a spiral pick up speed. Another went up a hill and then down a hill three times with the hills getting smaller and smaller. There were magnetic walls with paths for the golf balls to follow.
This is a hair dryer with a ping pong ball balanced on it. She is trying to make a basket with it.
This is J. actually balancing a ping pong ball on the air from a hair dryer.
There was a healthy body exhibit. This is me racing A. on bicycles connected to a machine that shows who is winning.
A., my competitor.
The race is on.
Here is B. and D. dong the same race.
The picture doesn't show it very well but the middle of this museum is filled with ladders, slides, tubes, etc. so kids can climb up and down the floors. They can go from the second floor (where you come in) down to the first floor or all the way up to the fourth floor without ever going up stairs.
From the fourth floor the kids (and adults-its a little harder the older the muscles are) can climb a little further to an observation deck (enclosed) and look out on the James River. A railroad runs through the parking lot so it is signed warning cars to not park across the tracks or too close to the tracks. The fountain is in the river.
My favorite exhibit is the James River model. There is actually a model of the river and they can make it rain. It gives them an opportunity to explain the water cycle - though they don't wait for the water to evaporate, they just pump it up to the "clouds".
There are wooden boats for the kids to float down the river and there is a rapids direction and a quieter canal side - with locks. The kids can operate the locks, closing the gates, turning the handles that open the water in or out of the locks, then re-open the locks so the boats can go on their way. Or they can just open the gates anyway and flood the river.
B. on the zip line.
B. on the zip line.
J. on the zip line, or under the zip line. She really did do it, the camera was just not quick enough.
J. in the Paint Box. There is this cool room in the first floor that is mirrored on one side and glass on the other three sides. They put a smock on the kids and make them take their shoes off, then they can paint. And paint she did.
Here is the paint. The rules were don't put the wrong color brush back in the paint, no splattering and do have fun.
One of their latest additions is an XBox Rock Band. We took turns doing the drums or the guitar. It was challenging keeping up with the Xbox.
We did go back to the river exhibit again and play some more. Here is a good view of the "clouds". B. and D. are in the background with J. in front.
J. playing with the lock
J. in front of a writing wall.
The other bug at the museum. All in all, I would recommend this as a fun place to take kids. Amazement Square also has tours for schools and groups on various subjects. There was also a display on the heart, the Monacans, architecture, stained glass and silver with a new exhibit opening soon.
