Earlier this month, I picked The Power of Poison at the American Museum of Natural History as one of the best exhibits for families this winter. But my eight-year-old son and I had so much fun learning and playing at this interactive installation, I thought it deserved an entire post of its own.
The Power of Poison examines facts, fictions and legends about deadly toxins. While the subject may seem offbeat for families (how many kids know what arsenic or mercury are anyway?), the presentation is totally engaging. Kids can explore the role of poison in famous fairy tales, solve mysteries at digital kiosks, get up close and personal with deadly creatures, and watch a live presentation about a historic poisoning. Both my son and I were completely absorbed by the one-of-a-kind display. For once, picking our poison had a totally awesome outcome.
The Power of Poison is divided into two distinct sections connected by a live dramatic presentation. The first part explores the back story of toxins: where they come from, what they do, how they were used and who used them. Armed with this knowledge, you're able to solve three different poison-related mysteries in the second section.
You enter The Power of Poison through a dimly lit Colombian jungle where you're introduced to poisonous plants and animals like live golden poison frogs and Zebra Longwing caterpillars. There's also an interesting short about a lone camper found dead in the woods with no evidence of foul play. I won't give away the ending, let's just say the culprit turns out to be one of nature's toxic creatures.
One of our favorite parts was the Poison in Myth and Legend gallery, where life-size dioramas reveal the truth behind well known legends and stories. Find out why Lewis Carroll called hatters mad in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, whether Snow White would have really died from eating a poisoned apple and just what those witches in Macbeth were brewing up in their cauldron. We also enjoyed searching through the Hogwarts-style magic book, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and Dioscorides' De Materia Medica. As you flip through the animated tome about poisonous plants, the text and illustrations seem to appear out of nowhere as if the book were enchanted.
After a quick stroll through the hall of Villains and Victims, which debunks urban legends about infamous deaths by poison, you enter the Detecting Poison's theater for a live 15-minute presentation about a real-life 1833 arsenic murder that gave rise to toxicology as a science.
The second section of the exhibit is completely interactive with digital kiosks where visitors can solve three different poison mysteries. (If all the kiosks are busy, you can download The Power of Poison: Be a Detective to your smartphone for FREE to play along.) Use what you've learned to figure out the solutions, including what struck Captain James Cook and his shipmates aboard the Resolution back in 1774.
Unlike many other exhibits at AMNH, The Power of Poison is light on reading but heavy on interactivity and problem-solving, making it great for school-age children, especially ones who are obsessed with mysteries, like my son. Given the morbid topic, I'd say it's best for ages 7 and up but if you have a particularly sensitive child, use your best judgment.
The Power of Poison is on view at the American Museum of Natural History through Sunday, August 10. Free with General Admission Plus One: $27 for adults, $16 for children ages 2-12
Find out about other great exhibits for kids in our Museum Guide.