EdVenture Museum in Columbia, South Carolina: The South's Largest Children's Museum

He weighs over 17 tons and stretches 40 feet into the air--even in a sitting position. Adults and children alike can get a close-up look at his brain, climb his vertebrae and bounce around in his tummy. He's only 10-years old, but he takes center stage at the EdVenture Children's Museum in Columbia, South Carolina.

He's Eddie, and this boy made of molded plastic gives children an unobstructed view of his insides, while teaching them about their own organs. Indeed, he even allows them to slide from his tummy and out his intestines. It's called immersion learning, and gives youngsters the opportunity to use their gross motor skills while exploring Eddie's brain, liver and heart.

While Eddie is front and center at EdVenture Children's Museum, he doesn't mind sharing the spotlight with other exhibits, such as Mission Imagination and Aha Factory. Mission Imagination teaches kids to anchor the news at WEDV-TV and to design and edit The Big Ed Gazette, EdVenture's newspaper. Aha Factory also brings out the creativity in kids, giving them the chance to create artwork from recyclable items.

With Body Works, kids can walk into the Bone Zone, which features a talking skeleton, and check out Heart Attack, where they can listen to their own heartbeat and compare it with the heartbeats of canaries and elephants.

The World of Work encourages kids to think about what they want to be when they grow up. Will your child be a firefighter, farmer, or designer? Only time will tell, but this hands-on exhibit fires childrens' imagination and shows how important hard work is.

The outdoors is also important at the museum. The Great Outdoors takes kids outside to examine energy and the environment, while an interactive water table gives them the freedom to create lakes and dams. A 30-foot Energy Tower, made of recyclable materials, features activities related to energy and weather. Kids of all ages will gain an appreciation for electricity by using a hand crank to light incandescent and florescent lights.

Critter Garden is home to hundreds of butterflies who make their home in an enclosed 2500-foot structure, which, among other things, teaches children just how delicate nature can be. Visitors are cautioned not to touch the butterflies, because even a light touch can damage their wings. Kids will also learn that butterflies weigh about 10 times more than a raindrop, and use their feet to taste and find their food.

The EdVenture Museum is a wonderful destination for families or school field trips. Cost is $9.50 for children and adults and $8.50 for senior citiizens and members of the military. Children under the age of 1 year and museuem members get in for free.

Want to Go?

211 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Sources:
http://www.edventure.org/