WonderWorks Orlando: An Indoor “Edu-Tainment” Park

International Drive in Orlando has a lot of fun experiences. The upside down building, known as WonderWorks Orlando, will definitely catch your eye. After all, it looks like the building fell from the sky and landed on its roof.

WonderWorks Orlando is an indoor amusement park. They tout “edu-tainment”, which is a great way to describe the place. Here’s a rundown on what you can expect during your visit.

Natural Sciences: Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Lightning

You’ll notice something a little different when you first walk in off the street – the floor is above you. It’s a pretty cool “Main Lobby” of the place. Once you’ve got your tickets, walk through the vortex and start your edu-tainment.

The first floor has multiple exhibits, including:

• The earthquake cafe, where you sit for lunch and feel the shaking of a 5.3-magnitude earthquake.
• The Hurricane Shack has winds blowing as high as 70 miles per hour. Feel the wind in your hair!
• Stick your hand in a metal glove, then see electricity arc from a Tesla coil to your hand. You won’t feel a thing.
• Think you can withstand ice-cold water? Stick your hand in a bucket of water and time how long you can keep it in there.

One of the coolest exhibits used strobe lights and water drops falling down strings. The strobe lights change speed to make it look like the water is traveling up the string. It’s gravity-defying water drops!

Bubbles, Bed of Nails and Other Exhibits at WonderWorks Orlando

Up the stairs to the second floor, you’ll find optical illusions that trick out your eyes. You’ll also have the chance to lay down on a bed of nails. Not ideal for a good-night sleep – but fun for a moment.

One of the coolest areas was the Bubble Lab. There were big trays and sinks with bubble solutions in them, and various sizes of bubble makers. You could make bubbles bigger than your head!

You can play a little baseball or quiz yourself on random trivia. See how hot you are by standing in front of the infrared camera and screen.

As you make your way around the room, shoot some hoops or test your hand-eye coordination with light buttons.

Astronauts in Space

Along the path, you’ll find a few other exhibits – like a giant piano or shadow room where a flash of light freezes your shadow onto the wall.

One of my favorite parts was the space area. There was a full-size Mercury space capsule so you can see just how small it was. You can put your head into an astronaut’s suit – although it’s hard to capture a photo because it’s dark and the flash reflects on the curved glass helmet.

Sit down and try to land the space shuttle in a simulator. I really wanted to try the Astronaut Training Challenge, but in my old age I don’t handle spinning very well. I didn’t want to be the guy that loses the contents of his stomach all over the floor.

Ropes Course and Lazer Tag Arena

As you reach the top floor, which is actually the basement – remember, the building is upside down – you enter the arcade. You can run around and try your hand at Skiball, Tetris or Galaga. As you win tickets, you can cash them out for small trinkets.

One of my favorite parts of the whole museum was attaching myself to a rope on a track and walking along a single beam 15 feet in the air. I tested my skills in crossing a rope bridge or hopping from one pedestal to the next. If you’re afraid of heights, push yourself to give it a try anyway.

While everything in the museum allows you to do it time and time again during your visit, Lazer Tag is a one-and-done event. But after you provide your ticket, they suit you up and set you loose in the course. It’s every person for themselves. I was pretty stoked when I finished in second place – considering there were 20 other people there.

Once you finish your game of Lazer Tag, you can also check out the 4D XD theater. There are two movies your group can choose from. This activity is included in your general admission, too.

The Details

Address: 9067 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819

Cost: Adults (13+) are $33.99, while children (4-12) are $24.99. Parking is available at the Pointe Orlando parking garage. Parking fees are $4.00 for the first two hours, $2.00 each additional hour, with a maximum fee of $10.00.

Hours: Open from 9 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You can come and go during the same day, allowing you to venture out and explore more of Orlando, then coming back to enjoy more of the fun.

Website: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/orlando/

Phone: (407) 351-8800

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