McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL

The McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama is a natural history museum and IMAX facility. The museum is run as a non profit organization with many interactive exhibits for visitors. Much of the exhibits are based on science and the history of science. There is a collection of dinosaurs, imaginative playgrounds, and an aquarium as part of the facility. The IMAX theater is actually a dome theater providing an almost 360 degree view of the feature. Films are offered on the 5 story screen with 3 tons of speakers spread throughout. The McWane opened in 1998, with millions of visitors from around the USA and globe attending the center each year. Anyone can find pleasure in the exhibits on offer at the Science facility.

The museum is open 360 days a year, closing only for the major holidays. The hours can change but one can usually attend from 9am to 5pm. Sometimes the hours will be a little longer. The museum rates will also change without notice, but they are currently $11 for the museum for adults. Children 2 to 12 are $8, and children under 2 are free to enter. The IMAX tickets range from $7.50 to $10.00 depending on the film being shown. IMAX provides feature length movies from Hollywood on occasion, so those shows are a little more. If one wants to see a movie and the Museum the combo packs are $16 and $12 for adults and children respectively.

The movies at the IMAX theater will change throughout the year. For the Hollywood films the theater brings in the largest draw movies, meaning things like Harry Potter and others that will gain the notice of the public. The original IMAX movies are on a variety of nature topics like oceans, mountains, etc.

The museum is split into three levels and a main plaza with the air canon, anti gravity mirror, balance, bed of nails, Bernoulli, Catenary arch, and others on level one. The lower level is home to the aqua space theater, Birmingham Prime Matter, and Cahaba River Tank. The Aeolian Landscape and Alabama dinosaurs are on level two, with the Animation station on Level 3.

A few highlights of some of the exhibits include the Sark and Ray Touch tank. In this tank children and adults can touch bamboo sharks, bonnethead sharks, cownose rays, and Atlantic rays. There is also a possibility of feeding some of the animals in the tank. Typically the area is filled with people trying to gain access to the sharks. During feeding times a person can buy the fish these animals eat.

Not all of the exhibits are permanent. There are also some traveling exhibits like Mr. Potatohead. Mr. Potato Head will take visitors through the evolution of this most popular toy. It will also allow for adventures to be taken with the loveable potato. There are parts to the exhibit with trips to outer space, a jungle safari, and an archeology dig where children can learn about these areas with Mr. Potato Head.