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Highlands Museum & Discovery Center
Engineering Playful Possibilities
When the Highlands Museum set out to create a children’s discovery center, they imagined a vibrant space filled with educational exhibits designed to spark curiosity and play. The Museum turned to Boss Display to fabricate key interactive features, including a cutting-edge ball gallery and a dynamic water table. The centerpiece of this effort became the Loco-Motion Gallery—a remarkable train-themed exhibit featuring a sophisticated mechanized ball system designed by Kraemer Design + Production. This highly complex and engaging exhibit perfectly captures the spirit of innovation and wonder the museum sought to achieve.
Interactive Collaboration
The Loco-Motion ball gallery features five unique feed points where balls are transported to the water tower, creating a lively interactive experience. One of the most exciting challenges of this exhibit was seamlessly integrating it with the adjacent climbing structure. Adding to the fun, a windmill-themed conveyor invites guests inside the climber to work together at moving balls to the tower, fostering teamwork and hands-on engagement.
Getting In Gear
The gallery is brimming with intricate mechanical features and moving parts, including the oversized 12-foot gear lift. This impressive mechanism uses over 10 interlocking gears, activated by a handwheel, to transport balls into the overhead tube. Thanks to a separate loading tube, guests can collaborate and play together, adding an extra layer of engagement to the experience.
“I think Boss’s reputation speaks for itself across the world and we can confirm that they have been a joy to work with and have been great to come back and take care of any issues that we might have. We have every confidence in the work they have done for us. We would recommend them to anybody. ”
A Perfect Fit for Discovery
Loco-Motion expertly maximizes the limited space, with every element designed to enhance interactivity while ensuring plenty of room for guests to explore and navigate the gallery. The immersive environment fosters collaboration across all ages, building to the exciting finale of the water tower ball drop. Ultimately, the gallery perfectly fulfills the Discovery Center’s mission of investing in future generations, creating a dynamic space where learning and play seamlessly come together.
Client Testimonial
Features:
Gear Ball Lift | The 12 foot gear wall utilizes a planetary gear system in order to lift balls from the loading tube up to the overhead track and finally, transporting them into the water tower.
Horizontal Screw Conveyor | A blower tubes sends ball to an overhead ball drop where guests can pull a rope to fill the Screw. Once there, another handwheel activates the screw, moving balls to the overhead water tower.
Windmill Ball Conveyor | This ball lift, houses a windmill style tumbler that can be rotated, transporting balls to the water tower.
Angled Ball Conveyor | The train car themed conveyor belt is operated by guests turning a handwheel to move balls to the overhead track.
Handwheel Ball Conveyor | Similar to the Angled Conveyor, the second conveyor lift allows guests within the climber to rotate the conveyor as well.
Ball Drop Water Tower | At set intervals, the lights on the bottom of the Water Tower illuminate and a train whistle sounds, signaling to guests that the Water Tower will be emptying shortly.
Other Featured Work
