The Good Old ASC

               

A trip to the Arizona Science Center can be a full day, hands-on extravaganza for the entire family. With four levels and a multitude of permanent and traveling exhibits, experiencing any semblance of boredom is near impossible when visiting.  I spent a summer during high school volunteering at the center and had an absolute blast. It was a true joy being in an environment that highly encouraged curiosity, creativity, and learning. The criteria I use for judging a day at the Arizona Science Center include the variety of choices for activities, the involvement and friendliness of the staff, and the overall easiness of the building to navigate. In my opinion, nothing can put a bigger damper on a day than being overwhelmed with a confusing building layout. The Center exceeds in each of these categories with a delightful array of fun exhibits, a mixture of hands-on and observable experiments, a staff that actually enjoys what they do, and a very easily traversed building with lots of maps and friendly faces along the way in case you happen to get lost.

“The Center was originally founded as the Arizona Museum of Science & Technology. It was converted to the Arizona Science Center as a pilot project in 1980. Thankfully, in 1988 the city of Phoenix realized the amazing potential of this place and it was awarded $33 million for expansion.” (“Arizona science center”). Since then, the building has flourished in the downtown Phoenix area as a hot spot for families, field trips, and interesting dates alike. Fun fact: my first date was to the Science Center. He was a real dream boat.

            On any random day, the Arizona Science Center is alive with energy as its many patrons filter in and out of the “over 300 hands-on exhibits in the different galleries. If you’ve been on your feet all day, you can take a break and catch a scientific flick in the five-story tall IMAX theatre or you can traverse the galaxy in the state of the art planetarium. If neither of those options tickle your fancy, head to the All About Me exhibit where the human body is examined. Similar to Body Worlds, All About Me offers an interactive exploration of the way our bodies work. There’s even a ginormous stomach that you can walk through and experience all the joys of human digestion, smells included. Gross, yes, but in an extremely fascinating way. I never thought I would have so much fun pretending to be a parcel of food in the middle of the digestive process. There’s even an opportunity for you to hear the thunder of your own heartbeat by having it transferred onto a bass drum. A fairly new exhibit, All About Me has increased the Center’s already booming reputation. Many Hands Make a Home is an exhibit based on the inner workings of a home from plumbing to electricity. Not my favorite corner of the Center, but kids love being able to play with the pipes provided and explore different aspects of home design. The newest addition to this magical place (a scientist’s Disneyland, if you will) is the W.O.N.D.E.R. Center. The explanation of that acronym is really long, but I would hate to leave any of you dead from curiosity. W.O.N.D.E.R Center stands for the Walton Optimal Neurological Discovery Education & Research Center. In essence, brains! Brains on brains on brains in this exhibit. You can watch live brain surgeries and even examine multiple samples of real animal brains.” (“Arizona science center”). That’s just the first level, folks. There are three other levels to explore and each offers just as exciting of an array of options as the first. You have the opportunity to learn more about the foundations of electrical charges, the origins of sound through music, the properties of gravity, digital communication, forces of nature, the benefits of being eco-friendly, and many more interesting topics!

            The staff the Science Center is truly committed to everything the Science Center represents. I’m not only saying this as someone who volunteered over 50 hours with the Center, but also a dedicated patron. Each staff member is exceptionally friendly and love nothing more than to help you enjoy your scientific day as much as possible. The Center would lose a lot of its credibility if its staff had no idea what they were talking about. From the top dog director to the groundling volunteer, each person sporting that ASC apron or polo is knowledgeable about the inner workings of each exhibit. If they don’t know the answer, you will not be snubbed for they will find someone who does.    

            Now, let’s get down to business. A fantastic experience so rich and fulfilling as this must surely break the bank. Surprisingly, the Arizona Science Center offers every fair prices for general admission as well as their prices for membership packages. “A child (someone between the ages of 3 and 17) is $11, adults pay $14, and seniors pay $12. There are additional costs for IMAX movie tickets and planetarium seats, but nothing exceeding $8 extra. If you wish to become a member, there are multiple packages to choose from. The one I’m most a fan of would have to be the student option. This includes free general admission for a year, a guest pass, and other benefits for $25. Again, let me repeat that, $25. Other options include individual for $55, basic for $75, and family for $95.” (“Arizona science center”). Each package comes with different benefits. If you’re interested, take a gander at the Arizona Science Center website, conveniently titled azscience.org. Another beautiful aspect of this place is that it’s available every day of the year (excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas day) between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

            A trip to the Arizona Science Center is an experience that should be had by every Arizonan or every visitor to this valley of the sun. There is no denying the truth of that statement when you walk in and immediately hear the sounds of children laughing combined with the rattle and shakes of the different exhibits surrounding you.

Sources:

Arizona science center - about us. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://azscience.org/about_us.php

     Arizona science center - join/renew. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://azscience.org/become_a_member.php