Science Center Unveils Newly Renovated Backyard
What used to be a complete eye sore in the far end of the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is now a completely renovated children’s paradise! Florida Power and Light donated $100,000 to the $1.2 million project, designed entirely and revamped the 5-acre space, with all of the little people in mind. My 2-year-old daughter and I had the distinct pleasure of being one of the first to experience this outdoor oasis, alongside a number of other VIPs and students from the Benjamin School at the ribbon cutting and let me tell you she napped like a champ that day!
The property now boasts an 18-hole miniature golf area, voted one of the top in the country by The Travel Channel…a spot I cannot wait to bring my 6-year-old son and husband to experience. As you make your way around the solar powered trees, the area has 15 interactive exhibits to choose from! You can pan for gems and fossils at the “Gem Panning Station” or dig for shark teeth in the “Shark Tooth Excavation Pit.” Then make your way around to learn about how to tell time as a human dial or experience the laws of motion, at the “Bottle Rocket Launch Pad.” Don’t forget to visit the far end of the trail and say hello to the long-necked Brachiosaurus in the “Physics Forest.”
“Our new backyard installation is a place where fun and learning are inseparable and where the natural landscape invites curious minds to explore this area full of hills to roll down and water to splash in,” said Kate Arrizza CEO of the Science Center.
I would have to say my daughter and I had the best time at the state of the art splash pad! We’ve frequented many a splash pad in Palm Beach County and this one takes the cake! With a number of sprinkling flowers, leaves and even an octopus, plus a bucket that fills up and dumps out (the perfect respite to cool off on a hot Florida day), I couldn’t get her to pack up and leave, once it was time to go! Another favorite was the “Bubbleology” area, because let’s face it…who doesn’t love bubbles?! I may or may not have had more fun than my little one making giant-sized bubbles!
The outdoor oasis located just east of I-95 and Southern Boulevard, is one just one of the many projects on the docket as part of a $45-million dollar expansion. Next up? A $600,000 Cox Amphitheater, set to break ground in early 2019 and should take about 6 months to complete. The area is just what South Florida was missing, a perfect landscape to explore and relax with the entire family! We can’t wait to come back!