WonderWorks: Orlando’s Terrific Topsy-Turvy Attraction
According to legend, the WonderWorks laboratory was once located on a remote island in the Bermuda triangle. The secluded location was necessary as the research facility was home to ultra, top-secret projects led by none other than Professor Wonder himself.1
The Professor’s grandest idea was also his most dangerous – to harness the power of a tornado. But as you may have already suspected. . .things didn’t go according to plan.
A whirlwind was unleashed in the laboratory, ripping it from its foundations and carrying it hundreds of miles before petering out and plopping the lab down in Orlando, Florida.
Today, the WonderWorks lab is open to the public as a scientific amusement park. While the building may still be upside-down, a walk through the dizzying inversion tunnel at the entrance will make everything seem right-side-up! With six different Wonder Zones within the lab, you can explore every facet of scientific interest, from physics to chemistry and even art.
This wacky attraction is great for kiddos and fun-loving adults alike, so don your lab coat and safety goggles – it’s time to put some hypotheses to the test!
Extreme Weather Zone
The first of WonderWorks’ Wonder Zones is the perfect playground for any aspiring meteorologist.
Start your adventure with a flash and experience a real lightning strike via the magic of a Tesla coil. Invented by genius Nikola Tesla to “investigate the electrical realm of high-frequency and high-voltage,” the coil was first used in his 1891 patent for a more efficient lighting system.2
While the coil has several applications, here in the Extreme Weather Zone, it’s used to mimic the natural phenomenon of electrostatic discharge from cloud to ground. With the protection of a steel armor glove, 100,000 volts will dance across your fingertips! Forget Zeus. There’s a new lightning master in town – you!
WonderWorks has not only harnessed the power of the sky, but they’ve also harnessed the power of the earth. So head over to the Earthquake Café and try out their famous “shakes” – but we’re not talking chocolate or strawberry! We’re talking about a 5.3 magnitude tremor!
If sitting at a trembling table beneath a wildly swinging light fixture wasn’t thrilling enough, just step into the Hurricane Shack. Hang on tight; you’ll be standing in the face of a 74 miles-per-hour gale! But don’t worry, you won’t be subject to the usual rain or hail that accompanies most hurricanes. The wind alone is wild enough!
Hurricanes form over the ocean, and those waters are incredibly perilous in and of themselves. This was especially true the night of April 15, 1912. The famous luxury ship of the White Star Line, the Titanic, collided with an iceberg and sank beneath the icy waves of the Atlantic. Over 1,500 passengers passed away that night, not from drowning but from hypothermia induced by the chilling temperatures.
WonderWorks invites you to plunge your hand into 28 degrees Fahrenheit seawater and experience the ocean as it was the night of the Titanic tragedy. How long can you keep your grip in the frigid waters?
Now that you’ve tested the limits of nature, it’s time to test your own limits in the next Wonder Zone.
Physical Challenge Zone
Cozy up and crawl into bed in this next Wonder Zone – a bed of nails, that is!
Applying the principle of pressure, you’re able to lay down on top of 3,500 shining, silver nails. (However, we should warn you, it’s not nearly as comfortable as memory foam.) While the bed of nails is entirely safe, the prospect of becoming a human pincushion is still psychologically nerve-wracking. The lines between physical challenge and mental challenge become breathtakingly blurred in the world of WonderWorks.
Once you’ve had your beauty rest, pop on over the Bubble Lab. Blowing shimmering, soapy bubbles is the quintessential activity of a summer’s afternoon, but we guarantee you’ve never seen bubbles like this. Here you can create bubbles big enough to engulf a person! Can you fit your friend in a bubble without popping it?
If you’ve had your fill of bubbles, then you can hoist yourself up to new heights at the Pulley Power exhibit. The pulleys create a mechanical advantage, which is the key to being able to lift your own weight. However, you can feel free to pretend you’re just that strong – we won’t tell anyone otherwise!
Space Discovery Zone
Now that you’ve proven both your physical and mental strength, you’re ready to head into space!
Oh, but first, you’ll need a spacesuit.
Climb into a replica NASA suit and see what it feels like to be a real astronaut! Just think – when outside of the shuttle, this suit is all that stands between you and the inhospitable environment of outer space. (If the replica suit here at WonderWorks isn’t enough to sate your cosmos-driven curiosity, you can see astronaut Alan Shepard’s real spacesuit, still covered in moon dust, at the Kennedy Space Center!)
Of course, there’s more to being an astronaut than just wearing a suit. First, experience the weightlessness you’d feel on a shuttle orbiting the earth as you take the Astronaut Training Challenge. Then, buckle yourself into the gyroscope before being tumbled and tossed like a load of clothes in the dryer! Spinning in entirely random directions, the gyroscope simulates how you would feel floating amongst the stars.
Before you head back to earth, be sure to check out the replica Mercury Capsule. You’ll probably find yourself thinking it feels a bit cramped inside; now imagine living in these confines for days on end. Talk about cabin fever!
As you head to the next Wonder Zone, you’ll come away with a greater appreciation for NASA’s brave explorers and what it takes for them to conquer space. Who knows, you might even feel inspired to become the next Neil Armstrong yourself!
Light & Sound Zone
In WonderWorks’ Light & Zone you can befriend your own shadow and play a giant piano!
Stand before an unassuming, white wall before being enveloped in a brilliant flash of light. Step away and see your shadow plastered to the wall. How did Professor Wonder create a contraption that’s managed to capture shadows? The secret is in the wall. It absorbs light at the moment of the flash, but your body leaves a darkened impression where it blocked the light. Be sure to strike a fun pose for your shadow to copy!
Once you’ve reconnected with your shadow, hop on over to the giant piano and see if you can play your favorite tune using your feet! The chords to Let It Go might be a bit tricky. . .
Wonder Art Gallery
Who said there had to be a competition between the arts and sciences? Yet, here at WonderWorks, they collide in a perfect, if unusual, harmony.
Now, you won’t be seeing any paintings by Claude Monet or Vincent Van Gogh – the featured pieces here are all illusionary rather than impressionist (or post-impressionist). Nevertheless, your eyes will be dazed and delighted as they attempt to decipher the deceptive pieces before them!
Included in this odd art gallery is also a display of Dr. Seuss’ wild creatures, sprung to life from the printed page into glorious three-dimensional “taxidermy” sculptures. These fictitious creatures possess actual horns, antlers, and bills from real-life animals and were crafted by Dr. Seuss himself. Known for his cartoons, WonderWorks provides a rare glimpse into his creative genius within the field of sculpture.3
Imagination Lab
This last Wonder Zone is especially great for the kids – or anyone wishing to revisit some favorite pastimes from their own childhood.
Remember creating glowing images with the plastic pegs of your little Lite-Brite? Now you can piece together a glowing flower or incandescent cat with WonderWorks’ wall-sized version, Wonder Brite! The nostalgia is served up in gigantic portions in this Wonder Zone!
Playing in the sand also comes with a special twist; as you build, a computer-generated augmented reality reacts to what you’re doing and displays images on the sand, helping you craft anything from a dense jungle to the ocean depths. Back in my day, we just had a plastic shovel and our own imagination. . .
Here in the Imagination Lab, the question is, what will you think of next?
In addition to the six Wonder Zones, WonderWorks also has a rigorous ropes course, a dazzling laser tag arena, and a virtual reality system that can take you to the ocean floor in a submarine or through the thrills and spills of a death-defying rollercoaster.
WonderWorks’ main theme is “edu-tainment,” and it makes a truly great day trip for the whole family!
Have you been to WonderWorks? What was your favorite Wonder Zone? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll see you on the next adventure!
Can’t get enough of Florida’s science-side? Check out Thomas Edison’s laboratory in Fort Myers at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates!
Cover Image
Photo: Phillipp Meier via Flickr
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