Site and Address
Discovery Center of Idaho (DCI)
Idaho’s Hands-on Science Center
131 Myrtle St., Boise, Idaho 83702
www.scidaho.org
(208) 343-9895

Date of Visit: 14 January 2007

Hours
Monday, closed (winter)
Tuesday-Friday, 9-5 (winter)
Sat, 10-5 (winter)
Sun 12-5
M-Sat 10-5 (summer and holidays)
Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years
Not seasonal, although there are temporary displays that change 2-3 times each year

Admission
General: $6.00
Children 3-12: $3.50
Seniors 60+: $5.00
Annual membership is available (and applies to over 200 other science centers)

Travel Notes
With our point of origin in Boise, Idaho, this site is Only minutes away

Site Notes
DCI is a hands-on science museum with 160 displays. DCI has temporary displays on a special topic that change every three months. We found six rooms filled with displays on optics, mechanics, electricity, earth science, sound and motion. There is also a computer lab that runs science-related programs and two classrooms that can be rented out for events like birthday parties. There’s no cafeteria or vending machines at the Discovery Center. However there are many restaurants nearby, since DCI is located downtown.

There’s a gift shop at DCI that is well stocked for a non-profit organization. We saw many educational toys, general merchandise, merchandise related to the current temporary displays, books, posters, t-shirts, kites, rocks and minerals, and some candy (like astronaut ice cream). Note: The gift shop accepts Downtown Gift Certificates.

Rachel’s Favorite
My two favorite displays were the Duck in a Crowd and the Shadowbox. The Duck in a Crowd display is like the inside of a kaleidoscope. When you stand in the center of the display, you can see multiple images of yourself in all directions. Great if you love to look at yourself in the mirror!

My other favorite, the Shadowbox, is a dark room where you stand against a phosphorescent screen and within a few seconds, a strobe light flashes and sends energy into the screen, creating your shadow behind you. When you step away from the screen, you can see your shadowy self. Fun if you enjoy posing and creating funny images.

Paul’s Favorite
There were two displays I enjoyed. The first is the center’s camera obscura, which they called, Giant Camera. You walk into a darkened room to find a movie screen on the floor. Projected on the screen from a mirror and lens overhead is an image of the parking lot outside. Rachel and I were able to watch cars drive down Myrtle Street and visitors walk out to their car.

The other display I liked is the Air Brake. This is a fabric chair that reminds me of a broken lawn chair. After sitting down in the car there’s a rope that you pull to lift you and the chair into the air. I probably lifted myself 10 feet above the ground. What you’re doing is pulling yourself up with a pulley above your head. The mechanical advantage from the pulley makes it easy to lift yourself up. Now when you let go of the rope, instead of dropping to the floor you gently float down as a spinning air brake slows your descent. The air brake is attached to the pulley you used to pull yourself up. When the air brake spins, its fan blades make a roaring sound.