Signature Exhibits

Great Lakes Science Center has hundreds of hands-on, minds-on exhibits available for you to see, touch and explore! Take a brief tour of our exhibit halls below and get a glimpse of what the Science Center has to offer.

Science Phenomena Floor

Experiment with more than 100 hands-on exhibits that satisfy and delight the curious scientist in each of us. Explore the science of light, optics, sound, resonance, motion, mechanics, electricity, magnetism and weather. Some featured exhibits include:

• Indoor Tornado -learn what is needed to form a tornado and stick your hand in the middle of the whirling cyclone!
• Shadow Room - experience the phenomenon of photoluminescence when the flash of a strobe light freezes your shadow against the wall!
• Bridge of Fire - a static generator generates 200,000 volts of electric current, causing the shortest hair to stand on end!

Return to the Moon Gallery

In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11’s landing on the moon, Great Lakes Science Center will begin opening its newest gallery on Monday, July 20, featuring NASA’s Constellation Program. With more than 20 interactive exhibits, Return to the Moon takes visitors on their own spacewalk with some amazing hands-on experiences. Click here to learn more about the gallery.

Biomedical Technology Gallery

Learn about advances in modern medicine and everything doctors are doing to stay ahead in the field of biomedical technology. Covering everything from stem cells to MRIs to robotic arms, the BioMedTech Gallery will satisfy the scientist in all of us - including the aspiring doctor! For more information about the BioMedTech Gallery, click here.

Polymer Funhouse

Just for those 7 and under, the young ones in your group will find no end to the fun as they bounce around in the ball pit and take the helm on the paddlewheel steamship Polymer II, located on the outdoor deck in Port Polymer. For more information, click here.

Steamship William G. Mather

Become a sailor as you explore this historic, 1925-built steamship from bow to stern. With hands-on exhibits onboard you can learn about the history of the Great Lakes, how to navigate the Cuyahoga River with a 618-foot steamship and how to tie a knot like an old deckhand! For more information on the Mather, click here.

Alternative Energy

Dedicated to being eco-friendly, Great Lakes Science Center installed a 150-foot tall wind turbine right on our own front lawn to generate clean, renewable energy. Coupled with that is a 300-foot solar array canopy - combined, they provide about 6% of the Science Center's power supply. Click here for more information.