The Mazes exhibit at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is 6,000 square feet of pure confusion and entertainment. I got lost in a crowd of 500 rambunctious visiting day campers and the big maze’s many twists and turns. But navigating my way through the life-size maze that takes up half of the exhibit did more than leave me physically exhausted.
Within the maze you’ll find brainteasers and optical illusions around every corner. Is the image actually bumpy or is it just shaded to look that way? Are the lines in the design actually parallel? If you stare at the oddly colored American flag for 30 seconds and then look at a blank white space, does the flag appear to be red, white and blue?
Your eyes may start bulging from your head as you search for the exit from this vortex of body and mind tests. Don’t worry, the staff knows the trick to the other side, but convincing them to tell you is another puzzle on its own.
The traveling exhibit has found a summer home between the planetarium and aquarium from May 3 to September 14. It is a family fun experience that offers different mazes and activities that cater to specific age groups. The create-your-own maze module allows visitors to piece together red and blue life-size rectangular prism-shaped pieces to make towers, bridges and, of course, mazes. Prepare to be amazed—no pun intended—by the exhibit’s educational panels that explain the origin of mazes and which Chinese dynasties used them hundreds of years ago.
Perplexingly detailed artwork created by the very talented David Anson Russo adorns the walls and adds another dimension to the exhibit’s colorful confusion. The Mazes exhibit is sure to leave you utterly uncertain as you search the corners of your brain for solutions to every mind-boggling turn.
The Mazes exhibit at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium (4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach) is on display from May 3 to September 14. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission for museum members is free, $10.50 for children (ages 3-12), $14 for adults and $12.50 for seniors (ages 62+.) For more information, visit sfsciencecenter.org/mazes or call 561/832-1988.
About Taryn:
Taryn Tacher is a senior at the University of Florida studying Journalism and Business Administration, who is interning at Boca Magazine this summer. Though she is less than five feet tall, what she lacks in height she makes up for with her passion for writing. She loves yoga, puppies and all things tiny. You can reach Taryn at taryn@bocamag.com.
