Photo courtesy of the Museum of Science

Things-to-do

To Do Today: Challenge Yourself with the New Museum of Science Exhibition Mazes & Brain Games

Try your hand at interactive mazes, puzzles, and brain teasers

Getting young kids excited about science can be hard. Getting young kids and adults excited about the same science without either group feeling bored or frustrated may seem impossible. Yet, the Museum of Science does it with Mazes & Brain Games, a new temporary exhibition (open until September 4) created by Minotaur Mazes. 

Nestled on the museum’s second level, Mazes & Brain Games is an interactive and educational collection of—you guessed it!—all kinds of mazes, puzzles, optical illusions, and more. There’s even an actual rat maze, where you can watch a few furry friends navigate platforms, nets, houses, and other accessories.

The museum was crowded with people of all ages on a Friday midday. The space rang with excited chatter and giggles from groups of summer campers in matching neon shirts. Their high energy was in stark contrast to the glazed eyes and blank stares I remember from my elementary and middle school science classes. These kids were looking forward to learning, not dreading it. Their camp counselors struggled to contain the groups as the kids eagerly awaited the chance to explore.

I felt like one of those summer campers—I love puzzles and brain teasers, so this exhibition made me feel giddy. As I waited to buy my ticket ($29 for adults, $24 for children ages 3-11, $25 for seniors age 60+, and free for members and children under 3—the exhibition is included in your ticket price), I’d been concerned that the exhibition was geared more for kids than someone like me (a 21-year-old BU student). 

The screens above the ticketing stations advertised a wide variety of exhibitions, planetarium shows, and films in 4-D (I was intrigued by the upcoming Lady Gaga Experience and the Divas Experience. I definitely need to return to see those.). The special exhibitions and showings do have an added cost ($6 for nonmembers, $5 for members), but they are worth it.

After leaving the lobby, I had a bit of a struggle finding my destination because of the museum’s sprawling floor plan and rich offerings. To reach Mazes & Brain Games, take the beautiful spiral staircase in the lobby, head right to the Green Wing, then take a left to reach the exhibition. 

Like entering a curious child’s brain

Stepping inside was like entering a curious child’s brain. There were things to look at in every direction: mazes on the floor, the rat maze in the middle, both child-size and adult-size mazes, and even a giant (albeit purely decorative) Rubik’s Cube hanging from the ceiling. 

Just inside is a few floor mazes, with plaques explaining each type. They’re not too challenging so it’s a great warm-up before exploring further. A further warm-up is the first maze, which includes “bridges” (paths you can go over or under as you traverse the maze). 

I took a peek into the rat maze, a collection of adjoining glass boxes packed with activities and obstacles for the rats to complete. They can cross nets, crawl down ropes, and even cuddle into their cardboard homes. It’s an adorable and interesting addition to the exhibition, and the kids loved it. Though I didn’t actually see the rats solve any of the obstacles, watching them mill around was entertainment enough for me and the huddle of summer campers.

Some of the activities are definitely geared more towards kids and families, like the Web Maze, where kids can attach themselves to multicolored ropes and find their way through the tangle to reach different poles. Those inside seemed to be having a good time, but anyone above five feet tall may find it uncomfortable. 

There was also a kid-size maze with activities inside (sadly, I could not access it on account of—surprise!—not being kid-size). However, this maze had a gong inside (presumably an interactive component). Some of the youngsters took advantage of the lack of adult supervision, and kid-like, repeatedly banged the gong. 

Perhaps the most engrossing part of the exhibition is the adult-size Maze of Illusions. Made of metal rods and tarp-like material, this maze occupies the back of the space and contains a slew of images designed to mess with your perception. I took a College of Arts & Sciences class about the psychology of perception, so I was already familiar with many of these, but even I found some new illusions to explore. Accompanying each was an explanation of why your brain perceives something that isn’t actually there, and none of these blurbs felt bogged down by jargon—both kids and adults were able to read and understand these somewhat complex psychological processes. 

The maze itself was also a fun adventure. I found myself getting lost (it’s surprisingly big), and wanting to stay lost to see the illusions around every corner. If you’re afraid of feeling trapped or like you can’t get out, don’t fret: there are regular “emergency exits,” flaps allowing you to exit if uncomfortable. It wasn’t scary or very challenging, but I appreciated the casual maze-solving experience. As the saying goes, after all, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

Scattered throughout the exhibition were informational panels on all kinds of puzzle-related topics as well, such as the history of mazes, what differentiates a maze from a labyrinth, and puzzle trends like hedge and mirror mazes. Exhibition designer Minotaur Mazes didn’t just throw together a collection of activities and call it a day—Mazes & Brain Games is an interactive, immersive, and fun experience steeped in thorough research and planning. 

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed the exhibition, since I assumed it would be heavily geared towards kids. I can assure you that there’s something for everyone, whether you know a lot about puzzles and illusions, do them just for casual enjoyment, or know nothing about the topic. It was a unique joy to be transported to the world of puzzles for a few hours. Challenging your brain has never been so fun.

The Museum of Science is at One Science Park, Boston (right by the Science Park/West End Green Line stop). General admission tickets are $29 for adults, $24 for children ages 3-11, $25 for seniors age 60+, and free for members and children under 3. Tickets grant access to the exhibition halls and add-ons can be purchased for the planetarium and films.