First things first: Three big thumbs up to the travelling exhibit Design Zone, in-house through spring 2016. These six-year-old boys spent well over an hour in the exhibit, and they didn't even notice they didn't cover but about a third of it. It may be implied by that last statement, but the experienced museum-goer knows to spell out these important facts: the exhibit components were interactive, in good repair, and very engaging. Most appropriate for early elementary through middle school, Design Zone lets you test lots of maker concepts and play games--and the connections to basic algebra, simple machines, and the like are thoughtfully designed. It would be a fantastic field trip classroom! Our favorite exhibits were roller coaster and skate park test tracks, both digital and physical; a three-person "bike race" activity; a catapult tester; and a marble maze game you could customize with simple equations. Also intriguing: an equation balancing activity, coordinate plane drawing (that requires cooperation between partners); and "laser lights" to manipulate, dance-floor style. In short, if you live where we do, it is completely worth the drive from Roanoke. By way of really nifty memories, we were also the first non-museum folks to enter the exhibit, which made us feel like celebrities.
All that said, the rest of the museum was equally pleasing. Our other favorites included the taxidermied animal collection in the train station building and the force experiment stations upstairs. We enjoyed our Dome movie--and in Danville, there's a short planetarium "sky show" at the end of the movies. In about 45 minutes, we saw our feature and had an educational presentation about the area sky. Our "sky guide" was very well-spoken and informative--and the information he presented was accessible to everyone in the audience. The technology in the Dome allows various perspectives on sky views, including the ability to "zoom out" to the Milky Way--educational, yes, and also just plain cool.
For families and collections of young friends, this museum is a great choice. The size is big enough but not overwhelming for a day trip visit, gift shop prices are reasonable, parking is convenient, and there's an area inside for snacking/picnicking if you please. And another plug for ASTC museum memberships: Danville Science Center memberships are particularly reasonably priced, and you don't have to live in Danville to get them. The ASTC reciprocity piece "kicks in" 90 miles from your home museum, so this option may be a particularly good deal in Danville depending on your family's travel plans. They also have educator memberships, so if you work for schools, ask questions and see what works out best for you! When getting a membership, be sure to ask about its passport status. For more on our previous adventures at the center, click here.
