January 27, 2025
Provided image/Please Touch Museum
'Voyage to the Deep,' a traveling showcase of marine life and technology, invites visitors to pilot the Nautilus submarine featured in '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.'
Kids can steer a submarine, without all the maritime hazards and geopolitical implications, at an interactive exhibit opening Saturday at the Please Touch Museum.
"Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures" is inspired by Jules Verne's classic adventure tale "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." The traveling exhibit re-creates a version of that book's submarine, the Nautilus, which families can explore and pilot themselves. Also featured is a kitchen stocked with "fun and unusual foods," an octopus garden, a code-cracking station, a kelp forest and a bubbly pipe organ that anyone can play. Just watch out for the giant squid scrapping the ceiling.
Kids will learn more about the creatures who live deep in the ocean along the way. "Voyage to the Deep" educates on marine habitats and the research techniques scientists employ to study them. The exhibit, designed for children ages 2-10, also touches on periscopes, diving equipment and submarine mechanics.
"This immersive, multi-sensory experience invites young explorers to chart their own course through the exhibit," Olivia Thomas, chief learning officer at Please Touch Museum, said in a statement. "With no set path to follow, families are empowered to be creative, compassionate, confident, and curious as they navigate the five-part sea vessel together."
"Voyage to the Deep" will be on view through Saturday, May 10.
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