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Wild Weather Exhibit and "Extreme Weather" 3D, Now at Fernbank

By Shannon Moore February 8, 2017

My 10-year old daughter and I had the opportunity to visit Fernbank Museum of Natural History to tour their new exhibit Wild Weather and view Fernbank’s first-ever 3D film Extreme Weather 3D.

From hurricanes to snowstorms, and tornadoes to droughts, there’s so much to see in this exhibit, and the many hands-on learning opportunities for kids keep them actively involved. The snow section offers an igloo to climb through (not made of ice), as well as a kitchen area where we learned how to be prepared in case of emergencies. My daughter’s favorite part in this section was the virtual window, where she could control the snowfall intensity, size of snowflakes, and the wind speed. It was a blizzard outside by the time she was done!

There was a display of actual photos from natural disasters here in the U.S., such as Hurricanes Ike and Katrina. My daughter was able to see just how much destruction weather phenomena can cause. From there, we moved on to the cockpit of an airplane where we could see the view from a Hurricane Hunter plane as it flies through a hurricane, or view what it’s like from the ground. In this sections there’s also a great spot for a photo op; we were totally blown away!

When we were finished in the exhibit, we headed to the new Giant Screen Theater to view Extreme Weather 3D. The theater re-launch kicks off the Museum’s 24th year in Atlanta, replacing the previous projection system with state-of-the-art digital laser projection with 3D capabilities - this theater is simply amazing! The ground-breaking laser-illuminated projection system was designed and installed by giant-screen industry leaders D3D Cinema, and engages moviegoers in the sights and sounds of science-based films unlike ever before. We donned our 3D glasses, sat in our comfy seats, and stared in awe at the truly giant screen. I felt like we were in the boat right next to an Alaskan glacier with the researchers. Ashes and embers from wildfires seemed close enough to reach out and grab. The movie itself was fascinating, covering tornadoes, Alaskan glaciers, and wildfires. When it was over, I asked my daughter to describe the movie in one word. Her response: “Awesome!” The exhibit and movie are a definite must see.



Want to go?

See the Wild Weather exhibit at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, through May, 7, 2017. Extreme Weather 3D is playing through May 19 in the newly updated Giant Screen Theater.

Hours: 10am to 5pm daily
Location: 767 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
Phone: 404.929.6300
Website & Tickets: http://www.fernbankmuseum.org/


*The author received complimentary tickets to this exhibit in return for this write-up. All opinions, however, are entirely her own.