Mid-America Science Museum

Hands-on science museum with a high-voltage Tesla coil demonstration

A serious hands-on science museum tucked into the woods west of town, with over 100 interactive exhibits across natural science, physics, energy, and biology. The standout is the Bob Wheeler Tesla Coil — the largest in any museum in the country, used in regular high-voltage demonstrations that draw lightning bolts across the room.

The site also includes a tree canopy walk through 21 acres of forest, a digital dome theatre, and an oversized walking-bridge sculpture. It's geared toward families with kids but is genuinely interesting for adults too — a welcome counterweight to the wax museums and gift shops downtown.

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