Smead Discovery Center Exhibits

Hands-on Activities and Live Animals

Permanent activities:
We encourage adults and children to touch and discover together to enrich your visit.

Observation Station – You Won’t Believe your Eyes!

Try out these microscopes and discover the natural world up close.

Touch Wall – More than 60 natural history items!

These touchable items represent all of the Museum’s Collections Departments.  What’s behind the secret question mark?  What does an alligator’s skull feel like?

Birdsong Piano – A delight for ALL visitors!

Play a hooting, tweeting piano.  Listen to and view 36 Ohio bird species as you press each key on the piano.  Play several keys at once and hear a symphony of birds.

Dino Dig Box – You can be the Paleontologist!

Come to the dig and carefully brush away the overburden (the technical name for the stuff that covers a fossil) to reveal a fossil.  Then ID the fossil with the key provided. 

World Map – Where in the World is . . . . ???

This is a fun challenge for geography-lovers and a great activity for adults and children to do together.  Match the animals with their homes on the map.

Discovery Boxes – Which one will You Choose?

These boxes are for use in the room.  They are filled with themed hands-on activities.  Themes include magnets, machines, butterflies, insects and shells.

Live Animals – Come see some cool, creepy, weird, wonderful animals!

Have you ever seen a Stick Insect as large as your hand?  Have you ever seen a big hairy spider?  Have you ever touched a Hissing Cockroach?  We have a variety of amphibians, reptiles, insects and arachnids.