Impression 5 Science Center facts for kids
Impression 5 Science Center entrance
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| Established | 1972 |
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| Location | 200 Museum Drive Lansing, Michigan |
| Type | Science museum, Children's museum |
| Visitors | ~3,000 Visitors per week |
| Public transit access | CATA |
The Impression 5 Science Center is an amazing place in downtown Lansing, Michigan. It's a hands-on science museum where you can explore and learn by doing! In 2025, Newsweek magazine even named it the #1 Best Children's Museum in the United States. This cool center is in an old factory building right by the Grand River. Its name, Impression 5, reminds us of our five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. About 3,000 people visit the Impression 5 Science Center every week!
Discovering the Past: How Impression 5 Started
The Impression 5 Science Center began in 1972. A woman named Marilynne Eichinger started it right in her basement in Lansing, Michigan. She was a mom of five kids and loved how they learned through a special method called Montessori education.
Marilynne also studied how people learn and think. She wanted to make science easy and fun for everyone to understand. Her goal was to create exhibits where visitors could use their hands and minds. These exhibits were designed to help people learn in different ways, focusing on our five senses.
At first, the museum didn't have its own building. Volunteers kept the exhibits at Marble School in East Lansing. They would take these small science shows to schools and shopping malls. In 1973, the museum rented a large warehouse. It quickly filled with many interactive displays.
The museum became very popular and started getting attention from all over the country. It also received money to create new exhibits that could stay or travel to other places. Soon, the warehouse was too small for all the exciting things happening there.
In 1982, Impression 5 moved to its current, much larger building. This building is 80,000 square feet and is located on Museum Drive in downtown Lansing. Since then, the center has grown even more. It now offers classes, camps, and special training for teachers. It also has programs that travel to schools, all to help kids learn more about science. In 1994, the Impression 5 Museum officially changed its name to the Impression 5 Science Center.
Explore and Learn: Awesome Exhibits
The Impression 5 Science Center has many fun and interactive exhibits for you to explore. Here are some of the exciting areas you can discover:
- Chew On This!
- Spectrum
- Nano
- Build Zone
- MI Nature
- First Impression Room
- POP! A Bubble Experience
- Giant Eye
- Throwing Things
- FLOW: A Water Experience
- Rotating Traveling Exhibits
- Smash: A Nuclear Adventure
- Megawatt
- Think Tank
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