Places to Visit—Science City & Exploration Place

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color photo of big limestone train station, with sign saying Union Station in foreground color photo of modern concrete structure small drawing of Kansas map with locations of Wichita and Kansas City, Missouri, highlighted

In less than a year, two major new locations featuring science education have opened in the Midwest. Science City at Union Station premiered in the fall of 1999 in Kansas City, Missouri; in the spring of 2000, Exploration Place opened in Wichita. Both offer hands--on science experiences in dramatic architectural settings--historic Union Station in Kansas City and a sweeping new building on the banks of the Arkansas River in Wichita.

The two locations offer differing experiences. Science City provides "recreational learning" in five areas, many of them modeled on life in a real city. Visitors can experience the re-creation of a fossil dig, a simulated cave, and activities related to outer space. In addition, Science City offers IMAX movies and a variety of restaurants and shops, all housed within Union Station, the second largest train station in North America. For more information about Science City--including information about events, tours, and field trips--go to www.sciencecity.com or call 1-877-SCI-CITY. Exploration Place is housed in a new, 98,000-square foot, $62-million facility designed by architect Moshe Safdie. Visitors to Exploration Place can participate in a simulated fossil dig, try their hand at one of four flight simulators, discover the plants and animals of a Kansas wetland, or a number of other activities. The CyberDome Theatre, where visitors can choose, view, and create computer graphics, will open in the summer of 2000. The Exploration Place web site is at www.exploration.org or call 316-263-3373 (from The Geologic Record, vol. 6.2).

Other places to visit in the Arkansas River Lowlands and Glaciated Region of Kansas.

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