Exhibits at the Museum

After nearly a decade traveling to schools around the state, Istar is returning to the Big Gallery! This life-sized inflatable humpback whale is modeled after a real whale living in the Gulf of Maine. Twice a day, visitors will be invited inside Istar for a guided tour and some fascinating whale facts. The exhibit will also feature interactive games and activities that illustrate all the parallels between humans and whales. Visitors will try whale traits on for size, exploring how the mighty humpback eats, swims, hears, even sings!

Coco's Diner
Coco's is a diner replica where kids prepare pretend sodas, shakes and assorted foods. Children love experimenting with food combinations and exploring their creativity in the kitchen. The service is always great at Coco's!
^∗Sponsored by H.P. Hood

Theatre
Our Dress-Up Theatre stage and puppet theatre are where many a fairy tale has come to life. Our theatre is complete with imaginative costumes for young actors, sound and light booth for the young technician and story board for the young director!

Have a Ball!
Have a Ball! is back and better than ever! In response to visitor demand, Have a Ball! now has a permanent home in our front gallery. This exhibit offers exciting opportunities to explore the science of motion. Children construct ramps that make balls speed up, slow down, and leap from track to track; experiment with momentum, friction and energy on roller coaster ramps and explore the movement of accelerating balls. Throughout the exhibit, children make hypotheses, test their assumptions, learn about physics, and have a ball!

Toddler Park
Our Toddler Park is a soft play area reserved for kids under three years old. It's located right in the heart of the Museum's main floor, offering guests what is arguably the best view in the house. Grown-ups can take a seat on one of our padded benches and watch the kids explore and interact. Our Toddler Park is a safe and secure environment.
^∗Sponsored by TD Bank

Fire Truck
Our Town fire emergency! Stop by our 25-foot fire truck and become fire chief for a day. Try on some gear, climb into the driver's seat and race to the scene - don't forget to turn on our authentic fire engine lights! Sliding down our brass fire station pole is a big hit at this exhibit. This is also great place to reinforce the importance of fire safety. Key safety concepts include knowing two ways out of your house; stop, drop and roll; and going low in smoke.

Car Repair Shop
Race car kids will love our auto repair garage! The wrenches and screw drivers are tethered to the engine block so they'll be sure to find the right tool for the job. While someone's tightening the bolts, someone else can be hard at work pumping the gas. Be sure to stop by our ATM so you can pay the attendant.
^∗Sponsored by Portland Volvo

Lobster Boat
Welcome to Our Town's port! A children's museum in Maine without a lobster boat would be unforgivable. We deliver big time with our own replica lobster boat. Climb aboard, haul in the traps and navigate your way back to Portland Harbor. This is a great spot to talk with kids about Maine's working waterfronts and the state's fishing heritage.

Market
The shelves at our market are lined with nutritious necessities. At our market, kids make all the grocery choices. Make sure you complete your grocery list by visiting each section: fish, dairy, grocery, bread, and produce. Then head over to the register for checkout - kids can work the register themselves or perhaps meet a new friend who's waiting there to ring up the goodies.
^∗Sponsored by Hannaford Supermarkets

ATM
Before you shop, be sure to stop at our ATM! Take money out of a real ATM. Learn about exchanging money for goods or services by using our special Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine Funny Money to buy groceries at the Market, pay for gas at the Car Shop and buy lunch at Coco's Diner.
^∗Sponsored by KeyBank

Oakie Acres
Got your overalls? In the farm you can learn about the dairy industry while role playing as a farmer. The farmer in every child (and parent!) comes to life as they milk our replica, life-size cow, ride our tractor and pump water from our well. If there was ever the perfect place to sing "Old McDonald" with your child, this is it!
^∗Sponsored by Oakhurst Dairy

Animal Hospital
Remind kids about the importance of being kind to pets by encouraging them to explore our Animal Hospital. Kids can pick their favorite animal and perform an exam. There's no better feeling than knowing you've helped a four-legged friend feel better. Your child may be inspired to become a veterinarian or a doctor after learning about caring for creatures large and small.

Our Town Post Office
Mail's here! The market just got a post card from the farm saying that the harvest is coming soon. Dress up as Our Town's mail carrier and deliver post cards to each Our Town building. The post office connects all the diverse destinations in Our Town.

Shipyard
The shipyard is our seasonal outdoor space, open April to November (weather permitting). Get on our ship and explore far away lands, play one of the whimsical instruments in our music garden, or just munch your lunch at the picnic tables.

Sea Pirate
Ahoy Matey! It's anchors aweigh as you climb aboard our 40-foot pirate ship and raise the sails. You'll quickly earn your sea legs as you climb into the crow's nest to look for land, navigate with charts, haul up fish in a net and swab the deck.

LL Bear's Discovery Woods
This exhibit is full of "outdoor" adventures! Try out our kid-sized rock wall, float a boat all the way down Cascade Stream, and pack one of our back packs with the day's provisions and set up camp. Explore basic survival tips with kids while using your imagination in the woods!
^∗Sponsored by LL Bean

Ranger Station
Become a ranger and stop into the forest to identify plants and animals native to Maine. Then you can use the PuppetTree to put on an animal puppet show for our turtles Nigel, Eloise, Dill and Bizzy Bob - just be careful not to tap on the glass! If you want more fun with science, attend a program led by one of our Youth Rangers. These teens are experts on owls, reptiles, rocks, trees, and many other features of our natural world, and they love to lead our young visitors in scientific exploration.
In the spring and summer, visit the Ranger Station's observation beehive! Learn the bee dance, look for the queen and get an up-close view of worker bees buzzing into the hive with pollen.

Raising Readers Book Nook
Families can explore and read together in this cozy, quiet space tucked away on the Explore Floor. The Nook is filled with books in English, Braille, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Farsi and Somali.
^∗Sponsored by The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital and MaineHealth

Tree to Timber
Tree to Timber shows kids the process of sustainable forestry. There's an interactive video game and real Eastern White Pine tree trunks. At the sawmill you can crank a conveyor belt that draws in rough pieces of wood and returns finished pieces of pine. In the Treehouse you can use the finished pieces of pine to build your own log home.
^∗Sponsored by Hancock Lumber

Space Shuttle
It's the only kid-powered space shuttle in Portland. Our space shuttle replica comes complete with astronaut uniforms and a life-size cock pit equipped with all the switches. Kids choose the flight plan - blast-off, orbit or re-entry. This is a great place to talk with kids about protecting our planet and the universe. Our mini-planetarium is also located inside the shuttle.

Enter the world of starlight in the Museum's mini-planetarium! Frequent star shows enable visitors to learn how to spot a variety of stars, while exploring Greek, Chinese, or Native American mythology. Learn about the many variations of the "Big Dipper" and other popular constellations. Investigate the brightest and hottest stars. Travel through the night sky and discover the rich connections between star lore and culture.

Tidepool Touch Tank
The intertidal zone of the ocean comes alive at the Tidepool Touch Tank! On any given day, a myriad of inhabitants collected from Casco Bay is visible to onlookers. Sea stars, anxious for a tasty meal, are often spotted in deadly embraces with blue mussels. A sea cucumber lingers with outstretched tentacles positioned for catching detritus. Resident hermit crabs busy themselves with frequent investigations of vacant snail shell homes. Sea urchins use their suction cups to camouflage amidst blades of seaweed. Several times per day, the cover of this enchanted tank habitat is lifted so Museum visitors can feel the varied textures of these marine creatures and learn about their amazing adaptations.

We Are Maine
Learn about the connections that Maine families have to countries around the world. Twenty Maine kids with roots in countries around the world show you some of the unique traditions they share with their families, as well as some things that make them just like you! Use the "Share Your Story" kiosk to share your own family rituals, and try out games, foods and traditions from around the globe.
^∗Sponsored by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Bank of America Foundation.

Camera Obscura
Did you know that one of the most amazing panoramic views of the city of Portland is available from a room without any windows? Come and explore the world of light and optics in our focus room, and learn about how our eyes see light, the origins of photography and more in our guided tour of our own Camera Obscura. This amazing first-hand demonstration will teach you more about optics and light. Guided Tours held at least twice daily, weather permitting.