Our Rating: A

When the old science museum that had been located in Coconut Grove since 1960 finally closed its doors, many science enthusiasts felt disappointed that Miami no longer had a “go to” science museum. Fortunately for the local science-loving community, this event only occurred in order to bring a more modern museum to Miami: the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science. The facility had been in the making for 20 years, and after some last minute scrambling to complete the structure, it was finally set to open to the public on May 8, 2017. However, many visitors are sure to affirm that the Frost Museum of Science was well worth the wait.
“I was so excited to hear that the Frost Science Museum had opened. I really loved the Aquarium, especially the jellyfish,” senior Gabriela Vega said.

The museum is located on Biscayne Boulevard adjacent to its sister museum the Perez Art Museum Miami. The museum complex spans over 250,000 square feet and houses four buildings: the state-of-the-art Planetarium, the Aquarium and the North and West Wings. The museum building has six floors, most of which are filled with interesting and educational exhibits that guests are sure to enjoy. Although the complex is large, it was designed and engineered with sustainability in mind, allowing it to beautify the city without harming the environment (for example there are numerous solar panels located on the sixth floor).

The incorporation of both captivating “traditional” and the more lively interactive exhibits in the museum ensures that visitors enjoy their visit. The exhibits also cover a broad range of topics that span from dinosaurs to ecosystems to space, allowing all visitors to find something they enjoy instead of catering to one niche crowd.  However, the true highlight of the Frost Science Museum has to be the Aquarium. The impressive 500,000-gallon tank spans three floors and is filled with all kinds of sea life that are found in the South Florida ecosystem such as lionfish, jellyfish, and sharks. The tank can be seen from above on the Vista level but the truly stunning display is on the second floor where the tank can be seen from underneath with a giant oculus lens.

“Overall, I thought [the Frost Museum of Science] was truly amazing. Even though the tickets were a little expensive, I think it was worth going to, and I would probably go again,” junior Karina Wu said.

While the museum is certainly impressive, there are a few drawbacks. Tickets start at $28 for adults and go down to $23.80 for Miami-Dade County residents, which is still rather pricey. Not to mention that parking on-site starts at $8 for the first hour and increases $4 for each additional hour. One can easily spend over $30 on one visit, which may not be all that affordable. In order to avoid this, uber-ing to the Frost Museum would definitely help save money. And while there were certainly many exhibits, ultimately incorporating more interactive ones geared towards a crowd older than children would definitely help the museum become even more engaging.

Overall the museum was a good way to spend the day, especially for those who love science. Hopefully, the Frost Museum of Science will continue to grow, expand and inspire everyone that visits.