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Every big city has a science museum, and Detroit is no exception. Of course the Detroit Science Center has had its up and downs over the years. Before a big renovation in 2001, the museum was little more than an IMAX Dome Theater with a exhibit space in a stainless-steel box suspended above it. The 2001 renovation doubled the center's space. While some of the original exhibits were still in evidence after the renovation, the museum did a nice job of providing an eye-catching, open atmosphere with a lot to see and do.

Saved

Unfortunately, a lack of funding in 2011 resulted in the Detroit Science Center's closure. That, however, is not the end of the story. The building and its contents were acquired by Ron Weiser, who was instrumental in transferring all of the same to a newly formed nonprofit, Michigan Science Center, for management in 2012. While the museum has since found more funding, it has not translated into a huge change in the center or its exhibits.

Has the Michigan Science Center Changed Much?

Between the renovation back in 2001 and subsequent additions to the building, the museum has plenty of space and is designed for easy exhibit changes. That being said, the layout of the center under its new moniker isn't all that different. While the location of the gift shop, cafeteria and exhibits on the main level are slightly different, the basement level is virtually the same. So much so, that some of the exhibits are showing their age or out of commission.

Bottom Line

The Michigan Science Center, like the Detroit Science Center before it, has a stimulating, open layout with a colorful, eye-popping design.

It is designed to be very interactive and hands on and, in many ways, is similar to a kid's fun center / arcade. That being said, the lower level contains a lot of interesting albeit older exhibits that may be less flashy but require a little more concentration and focus to perform the experiment and learn the underlying scientific principle. The museum also does a nice job organizing its exhibits into comprehensive galleries.

Standout Gallery

The Engineering Gallery is a real standout at the museum. It helps that it reflects its host city so completely. Not only does the gallery include a section entirely devoted to manufacturing, it includes a transportation section that incorporates several Detroit and Michigan landmarks and roads. Not only is the Mackinac Bridge replicated as a walkway in the gallery, several other local bridges, landmarks and roads are used as models.

Another exhibit allows hands-on control of traffic cameras on several Detroit roads and freeways, including one at the John R. Street and Warren Avenue intersection right out front of the museum itself. This allows snooping worthy of Big Brother and turns up some interesting sights. 

Oldies but Goodies

• A giant lever allows kids to hang from a rope and, depending on where they stand along the beam, lift a 2,000 pound weight.
  
• The tornado exhibit isn't exclusive to the Detroit Science Center, but it is always amazing – even if it is stuck in the back corner of the basement level.
  
• While the pneumatic tube exhibit has seen better days, it still provides interactive fun. It, like the tornado exhibit, is located in the back corner of the basement level; but it still manages to transport the tattered soccer ball through a maze of tubing that winds around two levels of the museum.
  
• A motion analyzer utilizes an editing wheel to slow down the motion of a drop of water, a running house, a popping balloon, and even a snake eating a rodent.
  

Live Demonstrations

While demonstration rooms have always been part of the museum, the Michigan Science Center seems to have a lot more live demonstrations going on at any given time than its predecessor. Of course, there were a lot of summer camps in attendance during our visit.

Special Exhibit

Compared to Stark Trek: The Exhibit of several years ago, Stingray Cove looked small and lackluster upon entry. It was located in a small, glass-enclosed room with several aquariums. If you've been to Sea World or any number of aquariums throughout the country, you might expect a little something different of the experience: a large pool filled to the brim with stingrays. That being said, the experience was still worthwhile. When you purchase the ticket (a $3 addition to the general admission price) you are given a time at which to present yourself. This limits each group to a reasonable size and each person has ample opportunity to touch not only the baby stingrays but a starfish and other coral inhabitants.

So what's it like to touch a stingray? Pretty cool. The stingrays feel both rough and spongy at the same time. They also frequently ripple into action at a touch. That being said, the three baby stingrays undoubtedly need a break at the end of the day given the near constant touching from kids and adults alike.

Tips / Practicalities

• Cafeteria: The museum has a cafeteria right off the exhibit floor on the main level. It has a small selection of snack foods, although it does look like it is equipped to offer more.
  
• Parking: There is a parking lot close to the museum and street parking. The museum's location near the Detroit Institute of Arts means you can also park in the DIA's underground lot.
  
• Best time to go: An exploration of the permanent exhibits takes about two hours; so, depending on whether you want to take in a special exhibit and/or an IMAX film, you'll avoid the worst of the crowds after lunch as the field trips and summer camps start heading home.
  

 Sources / Resources

• Museum website
  
• Detroit Science Museum Reopens / MLive.com