This past Tuesday night we visited the Grossology exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We explored the grosser aspects of the human body, through hands-on, nose-on, interactive learning. Nothing was taboo—farting, burping, vomiting, pooping, sneezing, peeing, and general oozing were given the regal treatment. I learned more about the mechanics of burping than the most talented boy in an elementary school cafeteria could ever teach. 
The kids launched boogers with air cannons into a giant nose. They entered an enormous red-lipsticked Mick Jaggerian mouth and slid down the esophagus into a large stomach. They crawled through an intestinal tunnel and emerged where Mick’s lunch would eventually emerge. The landing mat was brown.
They listened to a giant, faucet shaped talking nose. Gears, pulleys, and handles were manipulated to make a stomach vomit. A giant slab of skin served as a climbing wall. The kids made their way across the wall with the help of protruding zits, cysts, blackheads, and hair follicles. Meanwhile, scientists in lab coats were happily explaining carnivores have stinky poo while herbivores don’t. Clearly, none of these scientists have driven by a feedlot recently or been in the bathroom at any vegan restaurant in Boulder, Colorado.
The giftshop, aptly called The Gross-ery Store, was well stocked with Whoopie Cushions and stuffed microbes. We could have bought athlete’s foot, streptococcus, an adorable yellow ulcer, bad breath, stomach flu, or dust mites. My favorite was the stuffed pimple. It’s big, saucer-shaped eyes made it look like it deserved hugs and sympathy, not scorn and Oxy-10. Pimples have feelings too.
The night was a success. I now understand the sound of farts to be controlled by the diameter, pressure, and speed of vibration as it escapes. In the future I won’t blame it on barking spiders or the dog.
It’s science.
That’s an er … interesting topic for a museam. LOL. I would have loved it as a kid. But the pic of the skin wall is just gross.
You should have seen it in person, Goslyn 🙂
Maybe I should change the picture to something less, um, sebaceous?
Wow! Sounds like it was educational and hilarious and disgusting all at once! Glad you guys had fun, I’m sure that’s a family event the kids will never forget.
I have to admit that’s the cutest pimple I’ve ever seen.
Wow. That’s just…gross.
That exhibit was here a few years ago. I did not go. I don’t think I could do it. Just ick.
Yeah, it’s all natural and whatever, but just, ick.
Man that sounds gross!!! Pretty sure the kids loved it though
Hmph…my pimples aren’t that cute. Although I swear on more than one occasion they have been staring back at me when I looked in the mirror… Looks like a fun night!
Heehee…there were people there who look mortified to be confronted with the unpleasantries with their innards, and then there were people (like us, I guess) who loved watching kids slide down the esophagus. They are still talking about how much fun they had.
I may have to make a trip up there with my boys-they would love it! Sounds hilarious!
Wow. I should write a children’s musical based on this! “Gross-House Rock.” Maybe just “Gross,” like “Grease.”
“Gross is the word is the word that you heard/it’s got groove it’s got meaning….blah blah blah…is the time, is the space, is the motion/Gross is the way we are feeling!”
Go for it, Vashti.
Sounds, um, educational! Glad the kids had fun!
What a perfect exhibit for kids! Nothing seems to fascinate as much as the gross body parts and functions that make a lot of adults squeamish. I’d have been “ewwww”ing, too, but I can appreciate its entertainment quotient!
We have got to get over there and renew our membership and see this exhibit before it runs out. DH is dying to take the kids and I know we’ll all enjoy it!
Too funny! We saw this exhibit when we were visiting family in Oregon a few years ago. It has been one of my husband and older son’s favorite memories ever since. My husband still hoots over getting my nephew to bend over and smell an exhibit and my hubby pressed the button which released a bad fart smell. My nephew about keeled over. It was a crazy and fun exhibit which all of the men seemed to enjoy the most.
You have a gift with words….it made it all come back to me. Then again, maybe having had the stomach flu rumble through our family this past weekend just made me more sensitive to the memories…LOL!