Where Imagination Comes To Life

Second Story and Beyond

Realizing the Vision

For over a decade, the vision behind the Randall Lewis Second Story and Beyond (SSAB) aimed to create a dynamic space where visitors of all ages could come together to learn and engage as a family. Boss Display was enlisted to collaborate with Xibitz and Cambridge Seven in bringing this vision to life. Central features like the water table and the Epic Journey climber serve as interactive elements that not only offer educational experiences but also promote teamwork and exploration. These exhibits align with SSAB’s mission to encourage development through hands-on, exploratory play.

 
 

Visitors can activate the vortex with a handwheel that slowly fills the cylinder.

Moveable water toys provide engaging targets for faucets throughout the table.

The ant hill style climber spurs on guest’s curiosity as they explore the various pathways.

 
 

Engineered for Play

A key challenge was optimizing the available space while accommodating the sheer size of the climber. To ensure precise installation of the exhibits, 3D scans of the area were conducted. Spanning over 30 feet and consisting of four levels, this anthill-style climber is filled with distinctive features that make it one of the most popular attractions. Guests can explore multiple levels and venture into the Courage Crawl tunnel, a metal extension that passes through the adjacent wall, overlooking the lobby below. 

 
 

The Courage Crawl tube gives guests a high vantage point of the atrium below and also has a lever activated wave that can be accessed on the inside.

The four level climber is completely enclosed in safety netting preventing accidents throughout the experience.

Suspended netting allows for a bird’s eye view of the water table and even has an interaction point that affects the overhead ball track.

 
 

Seamless Collaboration   

A central theme of the space is fostering collaborative learning. The water table exemplifies this by encouraging group interaction, while guests can also climb onto the suspended netting above the exhibit for a bird's-eye view. From there, they can pull a rope to alter the path of the overhead ball track, providing a hands-on opportunity for teamwork. This is just one of many interactive stations where young visitors and their families can collaborate and engage with the exhibits together. 

 
 
“The water table is the first exhibit the kids interact with, and they play there longer than any other exhibit. Guest visit times are 45 minutes longer than we anticipated because the water table is so popular. They can’t get enough of it!”
— Wess Garcia, Library Director, Rancho Cucamonga Public Library
 
 

Mission Accomplished

Located on the second floor of the Paul A. Biane Library, SSAB takes a comprehensive, hands-on approach to learning. The space is designed with the understanding that purposeful play fosters the development of critical skills like problem-solving, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the world. Each area is thoughtfully crafted to support these outcomes, creating a unique environment that serves as a valuable resource for the entire community.

 
 

Wands with different hole patterns can be used to make fountains of various shapes and sizes.

Race boats and balls through the dual lane water race track to see which one will win.

Features:

  • Water Table 

    • Boat race track | Two spiraling boat tracks allow guests to race small boats to see which one is faster.  

    • Interactive water vortex | A handwheel activated flap can collapse the vortex, while putting it back into place will refill it. 

    • Adaptable aqueducts | Build your own aqueducts using the included ramps, angles, and foam risers.

    • Fog mushroom fountain |  Water spills evenly out a central tube, creating a circular mushroom-shaped sheet of water. Mist is pumped inside the falling water (and then contained) for added effect.

    • Dam tabs | Tabs of various shapes can be slotted into posts, changing the flow of water. 

    • Moveable water toys | Spinners, cascading funnels, and other toys can be moved into flows of water to foster cause and effect learning.

    • Make-a-fountain | Press one of the attached wands onto the water spout to create different shaped fountains. 

    • Ball blower and overhead ball track | Guests feed balls into a blower cabinet to send them up to the overhead track and down into the giant water vortex.

 

  • Epic Journey Climber

    • Anthill style climber | The four level climber has multiple entrances and exit points and allows for multiple guests to explore at once. 

    • Netting walkway | Overhead of the water table, guests get a bird’s-eye view and have an opportunity to interact with the ball track. 

    • Courage Crawl Tunnel with wave interactive | Cantilevered out of the adjacent wall, the crawling tunnel provides views of the lobby as well as a knob activating waving interactive.

 
 

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