Sloan Museum is bringing flight and space exploration to life with a new exhibit that launches visitors into the future of aerospace technology and air travel. Above and Beyond, an interactive experience exploring innovations in aerospace, will debut Saturday, May 15 at Sloan Museum, located inside Courtland Center Mall and will run through Sept. 5. The exhibit is presented nationally by Boeing and sponsored locally by the Nartel Family Foundation.
The 5,000-square-foot exhibit will offer an unprecedented interactive demonstration of advances in aviation and aerospace, from the first powered flights to the newest innovations on Earth and in space. As visitors enter Above and Beyond, they will be welcomed with an immersive, wraparound theater that highlights the epic quest to challenge the limits of flight.
“Above and Beyond is a great way for our community to explore flight in various forms,” says Sloan Museum Executive Director Todd Slisher in a press statement. “In this exhibit, we can learn how planes, birds, other objects can use aerodynamic forces to fly. We can test out those forces with a variety of hands-on activities to experience them for ourselves. It’s a fun and exciting way for teachers, students, and families to explore the science of flight.”
Visitors will have opportunities to explore hands-on, interactive areas that teach them more about flight. They can step into a simulated space elevator that takes them to the edge of the universe, design and test a supersonic fighter jet to face off in a virtual high-speed flying competition, experience a flying simulation with motion-sensing technology to get a sense of what it’s like to fly like a bird, while exploring the forces of flight.
Above and Beyond is presented by Boeing and produced by Evergreen Exhibitions in collaboration with NASA and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. “Sparking an interest in the wonder of aerospace at an early age is a priority for Boeing, and the Above and Beyond exhibition provides future engineers, pilots or astronauts with an interactive glimpse into how they can achieve their dreams and inspire them to pursue careers in science and technology,” says Greg Hyslop, Boeing Chief Technology Officer.
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12-2pm and 3-5 pm, as well as Saturdays from 9-11am. The museum is closed for cleaning between entry times and is continuing to limit capacity to ensure social distancing, based on CDC guidance. Masks are required to protect public health. Traveling exhibit admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $7 for kids 2-11. Genesee County residents receive discounted admission at $3 per person. Advance ticket reservation is strongly recommended, as entry times frequently sell out. Tickets are available online at SloanMuseum.org, or over the phone at 810-237-3450.
