The hands-on ScienCenter (60l 1st St., at Franklin St., 607/272-0600, www.sciencenter.org [1], 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tues.–Sat., noon–5 p.m. Sun., adults $6, children 3–17 $4) primarily appeals to young ones, but adults can learn something here as well. Walk into a camera for a zoom-lens view of how it works. Draw your own picture on a “harmonograph.”
Measure the electrical current running through your body. Or, play outdoor mini-golf on the Galaxy Golf Course. Pre-schoolers will want to explore the Curiosity Corner, while older kids will probably head to the animal room or space exhibits.
The ScienCenter was largely created by volunteers, many of them Cornell scientists and engineers, which helps account for its homey yet high-tech feel. Out back is an imaginative wooden playground filled with games that teach kids about physical principles such as gravity and heat.
Links:
[1] http://www.sciencenter.org