Lake Life & Learning  

expERIEnce Children’s Museum

Mission in Motion 

For more than 25 years, the expERIEnce Children’s Museum has been a cornerstone of STEAM education, offering hands-on learning opportunities for children of all backgrounds. Backed by strong community support, the museum embarked on an ambitious renovation campaign to reimagine its exhibit space in collaboration with design firm JRA. When it came time to bring these imaginative concepts to life, Boss Display was selected as the exhibit fabricator for several standout interactives. Among them, the Lake Life gallery emerged as a signature feature of the revitalized museum, anchored by a striking 45-foot custom-designed, lake-themed water table.

 
 

Guests simulate gusts of wind as they utilize the mounted blowers to propel sailboats through a sea of buoys.

Various structures were added that represent real life scale models of the local landmarks.

Whether it is the duplo farm area or the boat shaped fishing pond, each section of the table encourages guests to engage in hands-on learning.

 
 

Rooted in Erie

Every detail of the Lake Life water table was thoughtfully designed to reflect the culture and industries of the Erie region. From its overall shape to its interactive components, the exhibit immerses guests in the life and livelihood surrounding the lake. Visitors can launch sailboats using air blowers, simulate logging operations, and guide cargo shipments along the winding waterway. Scaled models of iconic landmarks, including several lighthouses and a miniature Bicentennial Tower, add a strong sense of place. Even the sailboat-shaped fishing pond at the table’s end reinforces the exhibit’s deep connection to Erie’s identity.

 
 

Guests can sail their cargo ships down the table as they learn about the various industries the Lake supports.

Interactive raining clouds provide a unique water source to the duplo farm land.

The Build-A-Pipe Fog interactive educates guests about how the lake has effects on the weather of the surrounding area.

 
 

Playful Discovery

Central to the Lake Life gallery is its commitment to engaging visitors in hands-on STEAM learning. Every interactive feature is intentionally crafted to foster curiosity, experimentation, and discovery. An oversized water tower sets the experience in motion, sending water cascading over an acrylic viewing dome and into the main table. Guests can crawl beneath the structure for a unique, immersive perspective as water flows above them. A large whirlpool element invites exploration of fluid dynamics, while the Duplo dam station challenges visitors to build their own dams and manipulate water flow—turning play into an educational experience rooted in real-world science and engineering.

 
 
“I knew that if we were going to do a water table, it was going to be Boss. I also didn’t know all that Boss Display and Momentum Interactives could do, really the sky is the limit. ”
— Ainslie Brosig, Executive Director, expERIEnce Children's Museum
 
 

A Lasting Impact

Since its inception, the expERIEnce Children’s Museum has remained steadfast in its mission to engage families, children, and the broader community through play-based educational experiences. The newly renovated exhibits have not only reinvigorated the museum’s offerings, but have also significantly boosted attendance, drawing visitors from across the region. More importantly, they deepen the museum’s impact—amplifying its mission and solidifying its role as a vital cultural and educational hub within the city of Erie.

 
 

Client Testimonial

Features:

  • Interactive Water Tower | The oversized water tower can be activated through a lever, sending water cascading down over the acrylic dome. 

  • Acrylic Viewing Dome | Underneath the table, guests can make their way to the viewing dome to experience what it is like to be in a waterfall. 

  • Sail boats & Blowers | Air blowers mounted to the table encourage guests to experiment with the power of wind as they sail their boats through buoys. 

  • Build-A-Pipe Fog | Representing how the lake can affect the surrounding weather, visitors construct their own pathways and watch as fog moves through their creations. 

  • Lighthouse Water Mushroom Fountain | Experience laminar water flow in a unique and sensory way. The custom themed lighthouses also pay homage to the local scenery of Erie. 

  • Hydro Electric Dam | Learn how energy is made by operating a gate on the hydroelectric dam to move larger amounts of water through the turbine. 

  • Boat Lock | Learn about the real life mechanics of a boat lock while raising and lowering cargo ships to different elevations.

  • Interactive Logging Site | Guests can use the logging site to split lumber and send it down the table. 

  • Giant Whirlpool | Located at a highpoint in the table, this mesmerizing whirlpool displays principles of fluid dynamics as objects swirl around into the table. 

  • Miniature Buildings & Structures | Custom miniature structures resemble real life elements of Erie, PA. 

  • Interactive Rain Clouds | Using the handwheel, visitors can make “raindrops” fall to the table from a set of cloud-shaped water features.

  • Duplo Dam | Controlling the flow of water through the table, guests can construct their own structures and dams while engaging in trial and error learning. 

  • Fishing Pond | Magnetic fishing rods and fish offer guests a chance to test fine-motor skills.

 
 

Other Featured Work