NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

Make a square bubble, see your shadow freeze as you keep moving, or shrink or grow five feet in a matter of seconds! Is it magic? No, it's the New York Hall of Science, a participatory museum in which children have fun as they learn. New York City's only hands-on science and technology center features more than 400 exhibits on color, light, heat (see your "aura" projected on a screen), the atom, biology, optical illusions (walk through a room that gives you a real perspective on perspective), and much more. The exhibits not only explain, but actively engage the visitor in the phenomena of science and technology. Guides are available to lead children and adults through exhibits, or visitors may explore, enjoy and learn on their own. The Science Playground, which opened in 1997, is the largest of its kind in the Western hemisphere, providing visitors with an outdoor science experience that invites whole-body participation. In 2004 the hall was greatly expanded to include new permanent exhibitions, a 5,000-square-foot rocket park, an expanded preschool center, a redesigned lobby, new food services and more.

• Disability Access: Fully accessible
• Gift Shops: Science toys, activity kits related to current exhibition, books, yoyos, videos and T-shirts
• On-Site Food: Dining area with vending machines; groups may bring bag lunches
• On-Site Parking: Parking is available in the Hall's private lot (except during the U.S. Tennis Open). There is a $7 parking fee for cars, $20 for buses on weekends, holidays and weekdays in the summer. Members and reserved groups park free. Parking is free to schools and camp groups arriving by bus.
• Reference Center: Science Access Center; lending library for members and staff only