A tentacled fleece ball darts left, up, then right through a series of clear tubes before shooting out like a soft cannon ball to the group of kids mimicking its path and vying to catch it. About 20 feet across, the "Amazing Airways" exhibit on air pressure has captured the attention of the children and kept them busy and engaged the last 10 minutes. Whoever catches the ball feeds it back into the system while another kid shuts off vents to change the path and keep the ball moving to one of the three different cannon tubes. Gleeful and absorbed in play, the kids don’t realize they’re learning about how airflow and valves interact in a vacuum to create pressure. A love of science starts here at the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
The Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences is a beacon for school groups and families who crave interactive learning just a short drive from both Raleigh and Greenville. Housed in a former tobacco factory, the revamped and restored 130,000 square-foot space is itself something to marvel at. Tall ceilings, wide plank floors, and massive windows give the museum an industrial feel, while the exhibits bring life and warmth to the warehouse space.
Beyond Amazing Airways lies a space designed to encourage kids to roll up their sleeves and ignite their imaginations. Rotating exhibits–everything from giant Legos to a play on Leonardo DaVinci’s lab–invite kids to explore engineering, art, aerodynamics, and more with kid-sized stations filled with puzzles, games, and experiments.
In the back is Cummins Planetarium. The 30-foot domed theater has regular showings included with admission to the museum. Laser and special entertainment shows are scheduled throughout the year (check the website for show times) and each show begins with a "What’s in the Sky Right Now" presentation that changes depending on the time of year. Take it in with your kids and then look to the skies that night where constellations, comets, and other sights will reveal themselves.
After the planetarium, take a sharp right and enter the live Animal Gallery. Challenge folks in your group to find the two giant iguanas who hide in plain sight in their habitat. Check out the baby alligator and compare the crocodile and alligator skulls side-by-side to see what makes them different and alike. Willy’s Crab House sits above the Living Marsh exhibit–a 2,8000 gallon saltwater aquarium filled with fish, crabs, sea urchins and more from the Atlantic Ocean.
The Animal Gallery also features some lifelike animatronic exhibits–watch out for the rhino–and a full-size giraffe replica great for posing for pictures. Learn about threatened and endangered species and what scientists in our region are doing to protect red wolves, loggerhead turtles, and peregrine falcons.
Younger visitors will enjoy the upstairs exhibits that are more dedicated to fun than science–a puppet theater, dress up station, doctor’s office with x-ray station, pretend grocery store. The art gallery wing is another spectacular space to explore. Visiting exhibits from local and national artists are displayed, and there’s a lot of history surrounding textiles, baseball in Nash County, plus more engaging activity stations for kids.
Hands-on, engaging, and fun, the Imperial Centre for Arts and Sciences is a great day trip that encourages curiosity. Grab lunch nearby at Tipsy Tomato, or head down the road to Nashville for a giant milkshake at Corner Coffee Cafe. Plan an excursion with your favorite kids who are looking to do something out of the ordinary. Inquisitive, thoughtful inspiration begins with play-based science.