The Experiment Gallery is all about hands-on experience, providing exhibits and activities that let you take on the role of a scientist to test and explore the worlds of physical science and mathematics.

Special Projects in the Experiment Gallery

We're always experimenting in the Experiment Gallery. That includes testing out new ideas for exhibits that will be used in the Science Museum and in other museums around the world. We want your feedback, so stop on by and see what's new.

Math Moves!
Math Moves! is a new, fun, family exhibit with activities that let you experience ratio and proportion. You don't have to be good at math to have a great time. You just have to move, draw, observe, and play! Learn More

Nano
Do you know about nano? Nano is anything so small it can only be measured in nanometers—one-billionth of a meter or 100,000 times smaller than the width of a hair! Learn what makes these tiny particles unique and what they're being used for.

Interact

Activity Station
The Activity Station is a volunteer-staffed section of the Experiment gallery that allows visitors to receive guided instruction in activities on a variety of topics, including optics, magnets and motors, electrochemistry, weather, calculus, and more.

Gallery Highlights

Wave Tank: Visit the Wave Tank and watch the surf crash against a wall or roll slowly up onto shore. This large Plexiglas tank gives you control over the creation of waves to observe their formation and impact.

Eden Prairie High School's Hydraulic Hybrid Car: See the model of the hybrid car that Eden Prairie High School submitted for a competition hosted by the Minnesota Technology Education Association (MTEA). During its runs, the car achieved a mileage high of 165 miles per gallon, and an average of 150 mpg. After its trials, museum staff and volunteers aided in refining the design and were able to achieve a mileage high of 175 mpg.

Steam Power Plant: Operate a small steam engine that drives a 12-volt alternator. Change the steam pressure, valve timing, presence or absence of a condenser, and the electrical load to observe variations in the transformation of heat energy to mechanical, electric, and light energies.

Tornado: Check out this visitor favorite and see a tornado form out of water mist right before your eyes.

Convection Currents: Observe the patterns of flow projected onto a large screen as water is heated and cooled. Alter the patterns and the temperature to see how these changes affect the currents.

Bernouli Ball: Experiment with the affects of air stream while balancing a ball over a large air blower. Challenge your family or friends to see how far you can rotate the blower before the ball drops.

Learn More About Experiments

Resource Center
The Resource Center located in the Experiment Gallery provides a variety of resource material including books in English and Spanish, magazines, internet access, and video that visitors are welcome to peruse. The Center also provides a block table for kids and seating for those who want to relax.

TPT
Twin Cities Public Television is dedicated to promoting the use of television programming and other media to inform, engage, and enlighten viewers. TPT produces a variety of informational, entertaining, and educational programs for all ages.

National Fluid Power Association
Home of the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) which serves all aspects of the industry of fluid power, including manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, educators, and customers.

Broadcast on tptMN, "Fluid Power: A Force for Change" is a 30-minute television program that introduces viewers to the world of fluid power, its technology, its industry, and its communities.

Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power
The Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) is a research branch of the National Science Foundation. The CCEFP links together researchers, educators, and students studying hydraulic and pneumatic technology and its uses.

See photos of the CCEFP's collaborative work with the Science Museum.