Should you come see the Pacific Science Center’s new exhibit? Well, that’s a no-brainer.
“Brainy Bodies” opened in mid-December, and is now a permanent fixture at PacSci. It’s all about how your brain communicates with your body, controls what you do and influences how you perceive the world around you. A pretty big deal — and a fascinating subject for adults and curious kiddos alike.
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the massive brain hovering overhead, next to the tot play area.

(Courtesy of Pacific Science Center)
The exhibit is recommended for ages six and up, and we can see why. The science behind this important organ is laid out clearly (in English and Spanish) throughout the exhibit for older kids, while more hands-on elements cater to younger kids, like pedaling a bike to inflate a tube person.
“Brainy Bodies” was designed and built by the Pacific Science Center’s own in-house exhibits team.
“I hope people leave being more aware of how their brain shapes their everyday experience,” said Cailee Smith, the main exhibit developer.

See your skeleton superimposed on your body in real time. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
Interactive features we loved:
- See your bones and muscles superimposed on your body in real time. It’s a little bit creepy, and very memorable. The video feature is also great for all ages — dance and jump to watch the teamwork between the muscles and bones under your skin.
- Deep breath in, and out. In the game of Mindball, you push a ball to your opponent by being calm. The ball is moved by magnets that respond to theta waves produced by your brain when you are relaxed or sleepy.
- Dive into your brain, starting at the surface and going all the way to the molecular level. Your brain odyssey is projected on a wall-size screen, which you control with a touch-screen monitor. It feels like a video game, one that happens to be sneakily educational.

Take a deep dive into your brain on the brain odyssey interactive feature. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
I asked Smith which “Brainy Bodies” activity is her personal favorite, and it turns out the best is yet to come. An interactive puzzle will arrive on the floor in early February 2025, where you’ll connect neurons to make a person on a screen move. The exhibits team programmed and hand-drew all the illustrations themselves. No wonder Smith is excited!
Since PacSci’s reopening after the pandemic, its focus has shifted from hosting traveling exhibits to building experiences internally.
“Brainy Bodies” replaced another exhibit about the human body that was a decade old. It focused on testing how well visitors could see, how far they could stretch, how long they could hang on a bar. For “Brainy Bodies,” the exhibits team wanted to represent all body types, and make sure everyone felt welcome.

(Courtesy of Pacific Science Center)
“It was a great opportunity to bring something new,” Smith said. “Our previous exhibit about the human body was doing a lot of comparing kids to norms, and we really wanted to celebrate every body, as well as bring new concepts to guests.”
Smith said they’d never want people feeling bad about themselves.
“We want people to leave feeling a sense of appreciation, a sense of wonder, about what their bodies can do.”

(Courtesy of Pacific Science Center)
Don’t miss
As a long-time member, I’ve clocked in years of my life on the Pacific Science Center’s campus. Here are a few insider tips on what not to miss after you’ve checked out “Brainy Bodies.”
- You can spend an entire day at the tinker tank makerspace and the physics playground.
There’s no extra charge for planetarium and laser show tickets. Seating is especially limited in the planetarium, though, so plan your visit for early in the day and ask for a free timed ticket when you arrive at the ticket booth. - The preschool planetarium show is terrific. The laser shows are in a completely dark room, which may be frightening or mesmerizing depending on the kid.
- The tropical butterfly house is the science center’s jewel. Catch a flash of blue as a blue morpho flutters by, or watch a butterfly sink its proboscis into a piece of fruit. Touching the butterflies hurts them, but if you’re lucky, one might land on you.
- The best restrooms are tucked at the bottom of the long ramp leading down to the Boeing IMAX theater. Hardly anyone knows they’re there, so they’re pristine. The more obvious restrooms are heavily used by many small children and babies on busy days … ’nuff said.

Butterflies in the tropical butterfly house. (Image: JiaYing Grygiel)
Know before you go
- Location: The Pacific Science Center is located near the Space Needle, adjacent to the Seattle Center campus. Enter through the north entrance in Seattle Center. The Denny Way entrance is closed.
- Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last admission at 4 p.m. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays except during school breaks.
- Cost: Surge pricing means the tickets are least expensive in the middle of the week, and if you buy them online in advance. Washington resident adults 18-64 start at $23.45; seniors 65 and up start at $20.95, and youth 3 to 17 start at $17.45. Children under 3 are free.
- Parking: The closest garages are the 5th Avenue Garage, the Mercer Street Garage, and the Theater Commons ADA Parking Lot.
- Public Transit: Seattle Metro Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 24 and D Line all drop off at PacSci’s entrance. The Monorail also gets you right around the corner — catch it at Westlake Center, also conveniently a stop on the Light Rail.
- PacSci and King County Metro have partnered up to offer one free fare on select modes of transport for adult visitors. Follow the steps here to access the offer.
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