The Minnesota Children’s Museum has a new permanent exhibit all about shipwrecks — the first since the museum completed its major renovation in 2017. 

Called Shipwreck Adventures, the new exhibit on the first floor offers an "immersive ‘underwater’ adventure" that’s filled with "action-packed challenges and imaginative spaces," a news release says. Those who visit the museum can practice diver hand signals, explore sunken ships in Lake Superior, "build agility" in a laser maze, and explore the natural landscape of the North Shore. 

"We’ve heard from visitors that they love immersive play experiences. They want to walk into something and be surrounded by a new, imaginative world. So that’s exactly what we’ve created," said Senior Exhibit Developer Mary Weiland, who acted as the project lead for Shipwreck Adventures. "The exhibit is filled with opportunities for adventure play and pretend play, while still being steeped in real Minnesota places and history."

The new exhibit, which opened Monday, will feature a 20-foot decaying ship hull with "interactive surprises" that are based on the J.S. Seaverns, which sunk in Lake Superior in 1884; a 10-foot pilot house with a working steering wheel; a dive site with conveyors and ramps to move equipment on and off the ship; diver training area with pretend SCUBA gear and laser maze; a green screen experience to bring "underwater narrative to life" with play and video; a shoreline canopy of plants inspired by the flora that grows along the North Shore of Lake Superior; and "towering 12-foot cliffs and large coves" with animals that live along the North Shore. 

"For many months, our staff has been working hard to create this new exhibit from the ground up – pouring over every detail, finding fun ways to surprise and engage visitors, and bringing this new underwater world to life. I couldn’t be more excited that we are finally able to share this amazing new experience with visitors," said Dianne Krizan, president of Minnesota Children’s Museum.

Shipwreck Adventures is among the 10 permanent exhibits at the Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul.

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