Liberty Science Center

Last weekend we visited the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. Although it’s not one of the museums on everyone’s Must See list when they visit New York, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Rodney thought it would be funny to dress up as a 6’6” elf for our visit.

That’s actually one of my Christmas gifts to him. A perfectly slouchy hipster hat from Urban Outfitters. Rodney has taken to calling himself Harry Styles when he wears it, but if I were to give people a multiple choice test, the answer would most likely be B or C. Am I right?

Besides Rodney’s experimental hat, there was so much to explore at the Science Center. First up was the suspended Rubik’s cube, which is visible from every floor. Although impressive in size, it gave me vivid flashbacks to the 80s when I stood at 4’9” with crimped bangs and jelly bracelets and would launch the cube across our living room in frustration.

As to be expected, the Bob the Builder exhibit was a hit. Emma convinced me that although she’s on the young side, she’s ready for drivers’ ed. Which would be convenient since Rodney has suggested that I take my backseat driving tendencies to the next level by installing a secondary set of brakes into the car.

We explored the Energy Quest exhibit and learned about the Earth’s natural resources, from wind and solar to nuclear power. But the favorite exhibit of the day was Our Hudson Home where we checked out all of the creatures that live in the Hudson River. The big draw was the tank of horrendously ugly bearded fish.

To be honest, I’m not sure whether the fish are inherently ugly or just seem angry because they now live in a small dark tank in the middle of Jersey. But whatever the reason, we loved them.

Other animals included turtles and fake birds.

And the educational videos, while fantastic…

…were just a teaser for the main event: tickets to Titans of the Ice Age in the IMAX theater. I don’t remember the last time I saw an IMAX movie but I forgot how impressive they are. The kids were blown away by the gigantic Wooly Mammoths, Dire Wolves and Saber-Toothed tigers.

Little do they know that a Dire Wolf descendent lives at home with us.

So if you’re ever in or around New York City and have the urge to learn about science, check this place out. It’s fun for the kids, fun for the adults, and apparently Doc from the Seven Dwarves thinks it’s fabulous too.