The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day for February vacation, through Sunday, March 1. Each day, visitors will be able to choose from five different planetarium shows, explore science galleries, engage in science and engineering activities – and just in time for February vacation, the Discovery Center has opened a new exhibition, Virtual Fish Tank.
The Virtual Fish Tank is a gift from the Museum of Science in Boston.
“The exhibit has been an amazing experience for millions of visitors to The Computer Museum and Museum of Science,” noted recently retired Museum of Science Director of Exhibits Administration Larry Ralph. “The VFT started at The Computer Museum in Boston. When I moved the exhibit to the Museum of Science we reconfigured the space, redesigned the look, and updated software. Now McAuliffe-Shepard can put its own touch on this classic display.”
In the Virtual Fish Tank, visitors select attributes and behaviors for their fish, launch their creations into the tank, and then see how a few simple choices result in complex behaviors and patterns for a whole group of fish.
“We are delighted,” said Discovery Center Executive Director Jeanne Gerulskis, “that the Museum of Science has chosen to share the Virtual Fish Tank experience with its northern neighbors, and that Museum of Science exhibits staff Larry Ralph and Matt Charron and Discovery Center volunteers Paul Higgins and Jerrid Kenney have given so generously of their time and talents to get the exhibit up and running, even though Larry’s last year at the museum and retirement! Our new Virtual Fish Tank room has been filled with children and families every day since it opened.”
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center features 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space sciences, an all-digital, full-dome planetarium and a wide variety of science, technology, and engineering and mathematics programs. The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups and lifelong learners. For more information, visit starhop.com.
Jayme Simões
