Orlando Science Center

The largest science center complex in the Southeast, the new 207,000-square-foot Orlando Science Center features 10 highly-themed exhibit halls with hundreds of interactive and fun learning experiences for both adults and children. You can peer into a sinkhole as it swallows a house, become a particle of food and travel through the major systems of the human body, and draw imaginary landscapes using high-tech computers and simulations. The Orlando Science Center also features a large-scale Adventure Theater, five Discovery Laboratories designed for hands-on exploration, an observatory featuring the largest publicly-accessible refractor telescope in Florida, a 200-seat restaurant, two science stores and a 600-car parking garage. The eight-story domed screen at the Dr. Phillips CineDome is the world's largest Iwerks dome. Also featured in the CineDome are planetarium shows. Currently showing is StarQuest, which answers questions you never knew you had about stars, galaxies, constellations, black holes and more (call for show times). On Fridays and Saturdays from 9-11 p.m., weather permitting, observe the moon, planets and stars using the powerful telescopes in the Crosby Observatory. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday (large-format films featured Wednesday-Saturday evenings), Exhibits – $8 adults, $7 seniors, $6.50 children, CineDome Films – $6 adults, $5.50 seniors, $4.50 children, Planetarium Shows – $5 adults, $4.50 seniors, $3.50 children, Observatory only – $2, Combination tickets and membership prices also available. 514-2000 or 1-888-OSC-4FUN.

Now through July 30
Ring of Fire. Come heart-stoppingly close to the great circle of volcanoes and seismic activity that rings the Pacific Ocean at the Dr. Phillips CineDome. Ring of Fire takes viewers within spitting distance of erupting volcanoes that effortlessly spew boulders the size of cars and shoot miles-high streams of steam into the air. Orlando Science Center's Dr. Phillips CineDome, Friday and Saturday evenings only – $6 adults, $5.50 seniors, $4.50 children, all other times as part of combination ticket including exhibits (OSC Experience) – $12.50 adults, $11.50 seniors, $9.25 children. Call 514-2114 or 1-888-OSC-4FUN for show times.