Apple Orchard

This simulated kid-sized apple orchard introduces young visitors to the magic of Michigan agriculture. Pick apples from trees, load them into a special hand-cranked conveyor, learn fun apple facts at the Michigan Apple Bits Corner, shop at our farmers' market, or spin our giant apple to learn about the apple trees' life cycle. Pretend you're Johnny Appleseed!

Curious Kids' Veterinarian Clinic

Curious Kids' Veterinarian Clinic includes mini-operating tables, kid-safe operating tools, real X-rays to read and all kinds of educational animal-related activities. Kids learn to treat animals in a respectful, caring way while exploring science in an educational and memorable manner.

Geo Kids

Come learn about the Earth's volcanoes, earthquakes, and slowly drifting continents in our Geo-Kids exhibit. Climb on the volcano, but watch for the next eruption! Find out which kind of buildings can withstand a "trembler."

Kids Space

Younger visitors can explore activities designed for early childhood development. Our costume corner is perfect for curious kids who know the show must go on. The Jr. Builders area has expanded! Budding architects will have the opportunity to build the home/fort/castle of their dreams. Don't forget the landscaping! An old favorite, the face painting table allows kids of all ages to express themselves artistically by using their faces as canvases.

Global Child

Visitors will be introduced to the world around them through clothing, toys, games and other materials depicting not only the history of the highlighted country, but also the everyday life of a child in that culture.  Currently...Australia!

Toddle Farm

This gated room is dedicated to children from infancy to 4 years of age. Designed as a 1940's style Michigan farm, children can play in the barn and slide down the silo into the corn crib. Collect eggs from the chicken coop, plant and harvest vegetables! Children can use the hand pump and send water rushing into the duck pond complete with waterfall. Interactive murals along the walls depict beloved Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. Infants will be safe while they explore the fish pond and crawler area. Books and toys related to farming are also available, encouraging interactive learning between children and adults. A rocking chair located behind the barn provides Mom with a semi-private nursing nook. Baby changing table also conveniently located behind the barn.

Body Works

Doctor! Doctor! Imagine yourself as a doctor, nurse, or paramedic. Exhibits including an x-ray viewer, a take-apart torso, as well as other medical tools await you in Body Works. Come and experience the thrill of driving and riding in our to-scale Medic 1 ambulance. Be the patient, the paramedic, or the driver and have fun!

Bubbles

Everybody loves bubbles and you'll love ours! Encase yourself in a giant soap bubble or make bubbles dance at Bubble Ballet.

Media Mania

MEDIA MANIA- a partnership with The Herald-Palladium, WNDU Television and WSJM, Mid-West Family Broadcasting. Imagine that you are the evening news Television anchor—haven't you always wanted to announce the news, the sports and especially the weather? Imagine you are a newspaper reporter getting the scoop on the latest mystery in town. Or perhaps you're more the radio DJ type, announce fun activities around town as you intro into a real, full length well known music track. Kids and their families will be able to practice these fun life skills and much more with real media technology.

Write your own newspaper headlines. Be a Television Anchor, announce the evening news, sports, weather or have a special interview! You are on the air on the radio! What is the latest news around town? Quick…cue the next song!

How Electricity is Made

Curious Kids' Museum, in partnership with Indiana and Michigan Power-Cook Energy Center, and Entergy-Palisades Power Plant, has developed a new exhibit featuring "How Electricity is Made" through the Nuclear Power Process, and alternative sources of energy from wind power, hydropower and solar power for a futuristic experience. In this virtual reality experience each child is encouraged to BE the atom that generates the electricity that is transformed across the power lines into communities and homes where it is used 24 hours a day!

In this virtual reality experience, each child is encouraged to BE the atom that generates the electricity that is transformed across the power lines into communities and homes where it is used 24 hours a day!

Physics of Sound

Play the Pipes of Pan! Make your own song or follow the music created by a fellow visitor. So many different notes from so many different colorful pipes played with a flip-flop to create sound waves in your ears.

Good Vibrations- Musicology for Kids!  *NEW*

Making your own Music with kids trying out musical instruments in the drum room, on the digital piano, and with the Instrument Petting Zoo on the mobile cart. Learn the physics of sound: discover that sound is created by vibrations by lying on the Giant Bass Tongue Drum, play the Theremin, explore the lissajous and the oscilloscope. "Be the Conductor" and learn about tempo and volume.

Simple Machines

Explore how Simple Machines make our manual labor easier. Simple Machines have few or no moving parts. Compound Machines make use of two or more Simple Machines. Try your strength at the Pulleys. Which are the easiest to pull?

Spin Table

Have tons of fun while you use the “force” to spin your discs on a dowel and let go to see if you can spin your disc around the entire spinning table.

The S.S. Cruizer

Young sailors will be able to send signal flags to shore, navigate the ship with the captain’s wheel, compass & navigational charts, fish off the side of the ship, prepare the crew a meal on the antique stove and explore the captain’s trunk. It also features great lakes navigation & safety equipment provided by the U.S. Coast Guard as well as a 17 ft. wall mural depicting the history of the Port of St. Joseph, Lighthouse & River area in the early 1900's.

What if?

What if you couldn't walk, hear, or see? Try maneuvering through a maze in a wheelchair, typing your name in braille or writing your name in sign language. Our exhibits give first-hand insight into many common physical challenges.