Hey Raleigh, Editor Laura here — I recently spent the day playing at the new imagiFAB exhibit in Marbles Kids Museum. And no, I may not be in the targeted age range, but man the activities were entertaining.
The exhibit features hands-on STEAM learning + fun and is now open in the downtown space (201 E. Hargett St.).
Children of all ages, backgrounds + abilities can experience and engage through science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (aka STEAM) at the new exhibit presented by NC-based furniture company Nugget.
The space includes 4 play areas: Create, Make, Build, and Animate. Each area offers unique activities — think giant building blocks, a glass wall to paint on, and real tool sets.
What we tried:
I tagged along with a Marbles member, 6-year-old Saleh Abdel Halim, when I first got to the exhibit. Having already visited imagiFAB once before, he knew to guide me straight to the Animate area — and he wasn’t wrong.
In this area, kids (and kids at heart, like me) can design their own vehicle on a sheet of paper. Then, by putting it under a seemingly magical animation machine, the customized vehicle shows up on the giant screen in the room in a matter of seconds. So cool.
What not to miss:
In the Create section there’s a glass wall for children to freely paint on, but get this — the wall cleans itself with water every few hours for a fresh canvas.
Besides all the markers and art supplies a kid could dream of, there also is a paint dispenser built into the wall that senses a palette underneath before dispensing paint. Messy bottles + caps of acrylic paint, be gone.
What we’re still talking about:
Having the 4 distinct areas all part of the exhibit allows a variety of experiences from just 1 trip to the museum. While I was hanging out with mom Sarah Emmert and her family, she mentioned how nice it was that her 2 older twin sons, Jack and Liam, (both 8 years old) and her younger son, Cormac (3 years old) could all be at the same place having fun.
How you can experience this:
Pre-booked admission tickets ($9) are required to visit imagiFAB and can be purchased online. Admission is timed-entry. Guests will choose entry windows to check into the museum, however, they may stay all day to play.
Visitors can also experience the exhibit during museum events like the Kooky Spooky Halloween Party (Oct. 29) and 21Marbles (Nov. 12) — a night where guests ages 21+ can play in the museum.
Things to know if you go:
- Experience: Visit the imagiFAB exhibit at Marbles Kids Museum
- Price: $9
- Website: https://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org/imagifab
- Address: 201 E. Hargett St.
- Hours: Marbles is open Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursdays until 7 p.m.
- Social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Ⓟ
