How to Crush Miami’s Frost Museum of Science in One Day

But this is no simple movie projection. As you move through and touch the screen, schools of fish and large creatures react to your presence, just as they might if you were swimming among them. You’ll learn the animals’ behaviors both with each other, and interacting with other creatures. The experience is made even more immersive by top-quality surround sound.

The five Frost Museum areas you absolutely can’t miss

1. Gulf Stream Aquarium

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Standing atop the “giant martini glass” — so named because of its conical shape — might be one of the best vantage points of Downtown Miami. But the exhibit includes animals that people travel the world to see, from Eagle Rays to Hammerhead Sharks to mahi-mahi. And you can view it from three different levels throughout the museum.

In addition to showcasing the creatures that live in the current off the Florida coast, the Gulf Stream is also designed to educate visitors on the vastness of the ocean.

“We wanted to show it was kind of that wet desert, that wet kind of middle of nowhere,” says Dehart. “If you jumped off a boat on your way to Bimini halfway across, this is what you’d see.”

2. Everglades

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Obviously, the best way to visit the unique and heavily endangered ecosystem of the Florida Everglades is to drive about 45 minutes west of Miami to Everglades National Park. But if you don’t have that much time — or insect repellant — stepping into the fourth floor aviary and Everglades habitat is a great way to learn about it.

Through red and black mangroves you’ll spot the impossibly rare Roseate Spoonbill, once hunted to near extinction for hat feathers. Creeping through the hardwood hammock, you’ll also see baby alligators and crocodiles, as the Everglades is the only place in the world you’ll find both. There are also owls, hawks, eagles, and plenty of snakes (behind glass, don’t worry). The birds are all part of rehabilitation programs, too, meaning they were found injured in the wild and were brought to the museum to recover.

3. The Dive and The Deep

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Descending down from the Royal Caribbean Vista level you’ll find yourself moving deeper into the aquarium tanks you just viewed from above. The third level, The Dive, includes dozens of small aquariums showcasing fish from around Florida and the world, including invasive species like the lionfish. There’s even a Pacific coldwater tank with a little red octopus.

Drop down another level and you’re in The Deep, where the light fades away and you meet deep-sea creatures you’d never see at diveable depths. It’s also home to two of the museum’s more memorable experiences — the immersive virtual gulf stream and the Insta-famous Oculus.

4. Feathers to The Stars

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No exhibit at the Frost Science Museum is more thought-provoking as Feathers to the Stars, a look at how birds evolved to fly, and how humans used that evolution to propel ourselves into the sky. Inside you’ll be met with a 30-foot Yutyrannus huali, a feathered dinosaur that ultimately learned to fly. You’ll also see life-sized airplanes suspended from the ceiling, and have the chance to land a spaceship on Mars as part of the exhibit’s space section.

“Once you understand that story arc, the emergent evolution of flight of animals from dinosaurs to birds, then the evolution of flight from the Wright Brothers to the moon, it’s pretty cool,” says Dehart. “It’s probably my second favorite.”

5. Power of Science

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The final exhibit as you walk down to the ground floor is a masterful transition from aquarium to science museum. Here, visitors step into the shoes of scientific researchers, learning how theories are tested and experiments performed, with historic tools and interactive installations along the way. It examines four frontiers in science: Our oceans, bodies, environment, and universe. And it tells the stories of famous scientists who made breakthroughs in each.

6. Observation deck and the sun spot

Because most journeys within the Frost Science Museum start at the fourth floor Royal Caribbean Vista, few people ever visit the museum’s lush rooftop. But take the elevators up to floor six and you’ll be met with a terrace filled with native Florida beach plants, and a look at how solar energy is harnessed to help power the museum. You’ll find a good dose of Florida sunshine, so if you’re planning to spend some time up here, pack some sunscreen.

“It was originally part of our being a LEED [​​Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified building,” says Uricchio. “But it’s all the native beach plants from right on the water, and we want people to see that they can have a really beautiful landscape using native plants that are more efficient.”

7. Wet Lab

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Hidden behind some nondescript doors on the museum’s seldom-visited fifth floor, you’ll find a sort of coral-incubation lab called the Wet Lab. Here, real-life scientists are working to restore 40 genotypes of coral, raising smaller specimens in tanks to hopefully replenish the dying reefs off Florida’s coast. “It’s kind of like the Noah’s Ark of Pillar Coral,” Dehart says with pride. While it’s not advertised as one of the museum’s main exhibits, it is open to anyone who pays admission.

8. River of Grass

This interactive children’s exhibit near the outdoor Everglades might be easy to write off as only for kids. But it can teach adults a lot. The immersive screen in the River of Grass’ main room lets visitors walk through a virtual Everglades, where Florida panthers dash by in the distance. Video-projected “water” reacts to your steps on the ground, and terrifyingly-large cartoon mosquitoes come out at sunrise and sunset, just like in the real Everglades.

Just outside, a series of interactive water features show what happens to the Everglades’ water flow when we build roads and dams. And though it’s aimed at children, it’s an important education in water conservation that anyone can benefit from.

What you can skip at the Frost Science Museum

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The Frost Science Museum isn’t intimidatingly huge, so there’s no reason you can’t visit everything during one visit. But if you’re pressed for time, and you don’t have kids, you can probably give the MeLab a miss. While it’s an interesting look at how bodies work, and the impact of food and exercise on your health, it’s typically packed with kids and it can get noisy.

If you do have kids, understand every exhibit in the MeLab is highly interactive, so you may end up spending a lot more time here than you’d planned. Still, younger children will probably also find this more fun than the Power of Science. Our advice is to do both, but if you’ve got little ones with a short attention span opt for the MeLab instead.

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