Families, it’s time to channel your inner 007. Pacific Science Center just opened “SPY: The Secret World of Espionage,” the first-ever public exhibition of possessions from the CIA, FBI, National Reconnaissance Office and spy technology experts. It’s the kind of stuff kids will eat up – access to age-old spy secrets and cool contraptions.
Shutterstock photo.
What’s the best way to enjoy this new exhibit? By scavenger hunt! Seattle’s Child has partnered up with Pacific Science Center to offer a special quest (pick up a magazine for the scavenger hunt) so that your family can get the most out of the exhibit.
Get in “I Spy” mode, have fun searching around, then turn in your completed sheet to the SPY gift shop (at the end of the exhibit) by April 30 to receive spy-themed tattoos and a chance at a terrific grand prize package: a family membership to Pacific Science Center, dinner for four at Collections Cafe, one night’s stay at Hotel Monaco and more. Emailing a photo of the completed sheet works as well.
So grab the kids from behind the bushes, tell them to ditch their night vision goggles, and bring them in to experience what it’s like to be a real spy. They can create their own disguises, alter their voices, navigate laser beams and test their spy skills with hidden cameras. They can check out ingenious concealment devices and daydream about what they might make into a spy tool.
The “SPY” exhibit has the goods: authentic artifacts from spies and spy catchers, fascinating stories, real spy technologies – some only recently declassified – and gadgets galore. It’s not every day you get to see a robotic catfish and a German handkerchief with a secret message.
The exhibit offers more than just a behind-the-scenes look at some awesome stuff, though. It illustrates how these tools of the trade are used to protect our country. It offers insight into how intelligence works, how science and technology play a major role, and how the people who do this work can shape the course of history.
The “SPY” exhibit is best grasped by kids in fourth grade and older, yet the visuals and activities are suitable for all ages. The exhibit runs on a timed entry, so it’s a good idea to prepurchase your tickets.
Once inside, you have a VIP covert mission: Use our scavenger hunt as a guide to sleuth the intriguing world of espionage.
Special thanks to these sponsors:
