Exploring a World of Wonders
New Science Museum to Open Soon in Lodi
by Robert Felton, Lodi Unified School District
Winter Break 2008, my grandmother gives my brother Ian and me a call
and said that we were going to a museum “in Lodi”. Now that was strange
because the only museum I knew of in Lodi was the Hill House Museum or
maybe Micke Grove, but then I was totally surprised as we pulled up to
the underground parking garage in downtown Lodi. I thought ‘This is
definitely not the Hill House Museum.’
After a short walk to the front of the building I soon discovered that we were visiting the new World of Wonders Science Museum. I had not heard of it before and couldn’t wait to get inside and see what it was all about! Science is definitely my favorite subject and I love a good Science Museum and especially one that is hands-on and so close to home!
I could hear voices in the air. I could see the exhibits being used every moment. There were kids leaping into the fighter jet which still needed to be programmed. I could feel the smooth buttons and knobs. From the rafters were model airplanes frozen in mid-swoop. This place had all sorts of neat stuff just waiting for me and my little brother to explore. The best part was that there were plenty of exhibits to interest both me and my little brother and even my grandparents too.
It was hard to decide which exhibit to visit first. We looked around and saw many options, but decided to choose the fighter jet simulator first. From the outside it looked like it was made from painted papier-mâché, but as we went inside we discovered it was a real fighter jet cockpit! My brother Ian sat in the front seat while I sat in the back. Although the flight simulator hadn’t been programmed yet, it was easy to imagine how cool it would be to pilot one of those for real. I can’t wait to visit this exhibit in the future and experience what it has to offer.
A huge microscope with all sorts of cool stuff to look at under it really piqued my interest next. One thing to look at was a dirty sponge that under the microscope showed tiny specs of brown dirt in it. You could also look at parts of a bee, which must have been popular because the man working this exhibit said that he started out with three parts of the bee to look at and now there was only one part left!
We scanned the room for our next experience and found it in an area where you could use your energy to make energy. There were two sets of pedals where you could pedal to make enough power for a light to turn on! The faster you pedaled the more lights went on. When my brother Ian and I pedaled we were able to turn on three lights, but when my grandpa and I both pedaled we turned on all six lights. An interesting fact is that the more lights you turn on, the harder it was to pedal.
”M.O.” and “W.A.L.L.-E” handmade robots
Another cool exhibit was a gigantic clock where you could see the gears inside. At still another exhibit you could even look at the inner-workings of a computer! I could smell the newness of the exhibits and sense a real excitement in the air. There were kids young and young at heart all having a great time learning about science. It was hard to believe that a place like this was in Lodi! Usually we would have to travel to San Francisco or San Jose to experience a museum like this. I sure didn’t miss the long car trip sharing the back seat with my little brother and sister and bugging my parents with “Are we there yet?” a bunch of times.
Probably one of my favorite experiences at the World of Wonders Science Museum was the robot building station. My brother and I were really excited about this one. First we got a cup. Then we got a motor and taped it into place. Next we got a piece of hot glue stick. Lastly we got a battery and put a rubber band around it. Finally it was time to test the motor, but not before we decorated it with glitter markers and feathers. My little brother named his robot W.A.L.L.-E and I named mine M.O. As soon as we returned home we had several robot races. I think I won most of them.
After we returned home from the museum I couldn’t wait to return. My grandparents had just as much fun exploring and viewing the many exhibits as my brother and I. It seems like this is such a great thing to come to Lodi. Since we all had such a great experience visiting the World of Wonders Museum, I wanted to find out more about it and how and why the idea for such a fun and educational place came about. On a recent Saturday I arranged to meet with the president of the World of Wonders Museum Sally Snyde for an interview. I had many questions for her, but I was also eager to visit the museum again. After the interview I was hoping that I would get a chance to check out any new exhibits that they may have had.
5 Facts About WOW:
- Has 35-40 exhibits
- Approximately 2,300 people attended the “soft opening” in December 2008
- Trades exhibits through EXNET
- Highlights include:
- flight simulator
- robot building
- large microscope
- Opens in March 2009
RF: Who came up with the idea for the World of Wonders Science Museum?
SS: Dan Ingrum owner of Danz Jewelers in Lodi.
RF: How did he get the idea?
SS: He came up with the idea as he was leaving the Exploratorium in San Francisco where he had visited with his kids. He thought there should be something like that in Lodi. A Steering Committee was started and the By-Laws were created, and then fundraising began.
RF: How did you think people will react to this museum?
SS: Well, how did you feel when you first came here?
RF: I said “Wow! This place is really nice; there aren’t any places like this in Lodi.”
SS: That’s exactly how we thought people would feel about it.
RF: How many exhibits do you currently have?
SS: We have over thirty hands-on exhibits, 29 are from the Exploratorium.
RF: Do you think that there will be more exhibits added to the museum and if so what do you think they will be?
SS: Yes, there will be a little kid’s sand table, and exhibit where you shoot hoops while wearing different types of lenses, and a toddler area.
RF: What are your plans for the future of the World of Wonders Museum?
SS: (To) keep it exciting and make it so that people come back again.
RF: How do you think this museum will change Lodi?
SS: It will bring more revenue and culture and education. People from all around California came to the recent “soft opening” of the museum which took place in December.
After the interview I tried out some of the new exhibits. First I looked through all sorts of different lenses and tried to read a board with information about the eye. Next I tried to make sound frequencies. Then I listened to two different sounds at once. In one ear I heard someone talking about the ear itself and in the other ear I heard someone speaking about a historical event.
A view from inside the cockpit of the fighter jet
You may wonder how a small community like Lodi could acquire such cool exhibits like the ones they have at the World of Wonders Science Museum. I did a little research and found out about a program for science museums called ExNet.
ExNet according to their website “represents large and small museums in Europe, Mexico, and the United States to organize around the exchange of exhibits, people, and expertise, to contribute to building a worldwide culture of learning.”
An exhibit that allows you to speed up or slow down your voice and reverse what you say.
It also states that partners meet semi-annually to share ideas, coordinate activities, and plan future projects.
The World of Wonders Science Museum is planning a two-day grand opening on March 7th and 8th. It will then be open on Spring break (March 14th – March 29th), Easter Break (April 4th-April 11th-closed Easter Sunday), and all weekends.
There is also a fundraiser coming up in April to benefit the WOW Museum. A golf tournament will be held April 6th at the Woodbridge Golf and Country Club.
One really cool way to experience the WOW Museum is to celebrate your birthday there. Members pay $ 175.00 (non-members $ 200.00) to have a fun-filled birthday party that allows kids to have access to the exhibits. You even get do experiments with your very own science teacher “Dr. WOW”. Now that is one birthday kids will not soon forget!
A real “hands-on” exhibit.
So if you’re looking for a great place to spend the day learning about science then I definitely recommend a visit to the World of Wonders Science Museum.
The World of Wonders Science Museum is located at 2 N Sacramento St. in Lodi. You can visit their website at: www.wowsciencemuseum.org for more information about hours and how to become a member.
-Reported by Robert Felton
Works - Cited
Sally Snyde, 31 January, 2009
Farrow, Ross. “One word to describe Lodi museum-WOW.” Lodi News-Sentinel: lodinews.com. 29 Dec. 2008<http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2008/12/29/news/1_wow_081229.txt
Lambert, Diana. “Lodi science museum struggles with launch.” Sacramento Bee: sacbee.com. 12 Feb. 2009< http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1537171.html?mi_rss=Our+Region
Thigpen, Daniel. “Science museum on track”. The Record: recordnet.com. 13 Jan. 2008< http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080113/A_NEWS/801130318
ExNet. Exploratorium, 2006, http://www.exploratorium.edu/cmp/exnet/about/index.html
World of Wonders Science Museum. Applied Office, http://www.wowsciencemuseum.org/