Welcome to Mindbender Mansion!
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a world-class tourist attraction and educational resource, located in downtown Portland, OR, on the banks of the Willamette River. One of the nation's top ten science museums, they put the "WOW!" in science for the kid in each of us. Five exhibit halls and eight science labs offer 219,000 square feet of brain-powered fun through hundreds of interactive exhibits and hands-on demonstrations. OMSI's multi-attraction complex features a big screen OMNIMAX® Theater, the Northwest's largest planetarium, and the USS Blueback, the last fast-attack, diesel-powered submarine built by the U.S. Navy and, after serving for 31 years, the last of its kind to be decommissioned.
Most people are not aware that OMSI is also recognized worldwide as an industry leader in designing and producing high quality traveling exhibits. They specialize in creating interactive exhibits that are engaging and scientifically accurate. OMSI creates exhibits for the museum in Portland, as well as for the largest traveling exhibit program in the country, circulating more than 25 exhibits throughout North America.
As part of this year’s Regional Gathering, you can take a behind-the-scenes look at how an exhibit is put together. The exhibit currently under construction is called Mindbender Mansion. Visitors to this fun and eclectic mansion are invited to join the Mindbender Society by using their problem solving, creative, and critical thinking skills to solve a variety of inventive brain teasers and puzzles as well as large-scale group challenges. Solutions to individual brain teasers, successful completion of group activities, and discovery of hidden clues can be combined to solve the ultimate challenge—the key to becoming a member of the Mindbender Society. Adults, families, and children alike will enjoy challenging their minds as they try to master each of the 40 individual brain teasers and the 5 large-scale group activities. The finished exhibit is scheduled to be open to the public in February of 2009.
RG attendees who wish to take this tour will meet at OMSI at 12:30 pm, Friday May 2nd. We will tour the shop where the exhibits are created, in the company of the shop manager. Each participant will also receive free admission to the museum, and a ticket good for admission to one of their main attractions, either OMNIMAX, the Planetarium, or the USS Blueback.
This free tour is limited to 20 participants, so get your registration in now if you want to take advantage of this great opportunity! For more details about OMSI, visit www.omsi.edu.