I love a good adults only event! All exhibits are open during the event and you can touch and play with all the things. You have to line up outside for ID check so dress for the weather. Everyone is required to show ID regardless of age. Once inside you'll stand in another line to show your tickets. Parking is $2. If there's a show or lecture you'd like to see make sure to line up about 20 minutes before to secure your spot. The lines get long fast and space is limited. There were a good number of vendors serving drinks and a couple with food. Theres also a small corner with vendors selling goods. The different activity stations vary based on the theme but there's always plenty to stop and look at. read more

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A nice mid-sized-city science museum, especially popular for families. But more importantly, also home to the Sci-Fi Film Festival, the planetarium with laser light shows, and occasionally host to nerd comedy and other community events. read more

my first time at omsi! i loved it , the titanic exhibit was amazing. me and my friend went to the physics lab where one of the volunteers, scott was so awesome and engaging and showed us a static electricity experiment :) i may be 23 but i am feeling full of childlike wonder after my time spent here. read more

Omg! OMSI after dark did not disappoint. Free drink samples, laser show, chemistry experiments, physics lab, open exhibits. What a night to remember forever!!!!!! read more

Attended OMSI's After Dark event last night called Stem Comedy hoping for an enjoyable and at least quasi-professional show and instead was subjected to embarrassing and humorless performers, crass tasteless jokes, and insipid comments passed of as insider nerd humor. I'm totally in favor of nerd jokes but these were not only not funny, they were just stupid. I felt sorry for these performers who obviously did not know how bad they were. Couldn't wait for it to be over. Bad, bad, bad! I hope this was a one-time poor decision for OMSI that will never be repeated. read more

Brickman expierance amazing... learned bout the moon... many on screen information formatted to catch attention. Many nice people... planetarium... museum.. unity on earth clean up project erected funded with many inciteful ideas on how we play a part to recycle reduce reuse.... read more

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came to the fantasy and folklore event. left almost immediately. it was basically just a ton of vendor tables (spend money to... spend money!). the featured "test out castle defense" experience was literally about ten paper blocks on the ground and a toy catapult. the second floor wasn't even open! felt like the entire event was a cash grab organized at the absolute last minute. read more

This is quite an 'interesting' venue and unfortunately, not the good type of 'interesting.' The inside of this particular OMSI building feels like stepping back in time to the 1970s. The lecture hall consists of a few dozen rows of very steep tiered seating. I overheard 3 different people mention how walking up/down the very steep steps made them feel dizzy like vertigo. And, the lecture hall has a musty smell :( Another issue was that during the lecture my asthma started acting up, so I wanted to step out into the lobby, so my cough wouldn't disrupt the lecture and to privately use my asthma inhaler. When I got to the exit door that goes to the lobby, I realized that the doors auto-lock, so I would be locked out of the lecture hall (there weren't any staff inside the lecture hall or anywhere nearby in the lobby). Lastly, EVERYONE had issues trying to use the metered parking station for the after-hours parking! Five people in line ahead of me were unable to figure it out and neither could I (possibly the machine was malfunctioning, because I use Portland parking meters frequently without issues). Several people including me decided to use Parking Kitty, but none of the signage had the Zone Number on it. Very frustrating. The only good thing was parking is only $2.50 total for up to 5 hours in the evening, OMSI staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, and the bathrooms were very clean. read more

Came here for the Studio Ghibli film festival so I didn't get to experience all of what OMSI has to offer, but was very impressed with the theater and the ease of purchasing the tickets. There's plenty of parking which is done through the Park Kitty app and is only a few dollars. They also have EV charging available. The tickets were very affordable ($8) and the screen you see it on is MASSIVE. I feel like it is bigger than the imax theaters, but it may look that way due to the seats being so close to the screen. It almost hurts your eyes. They also offer some theater snacks and don't rip you off either, with a bag of popcorn for only $3. Overall this was a nice experience and I would like to return to see other parts of the planetarium. read more

Out of all the years I've been idly sitting by letting my children enjoy the Omsi Experience I will say we finally went to an Omsi afterdark and chose a cidar fest and had a great time... we showed up about 15 minutes early which I would advise showing up even earlier because we were probably 100 people deep in a line at that time and the line only grew larger I was very surprised I just how big this event was and how big the turnout was. They had lots of exhibits open mini sampling of food and beverage as well as thanks for sale in addition they definitely made it fun to wear if you were just to buy the experience insurance you would get well worth your money and in our case enjoy a little bit extra. With our omsi level pass we get two free Omsi Afterdark, so this is a no brainer. The adult laser shows, and davinchi exhibit really put it over the top. A must experience for OMSI lovers read more

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I really like this event. The event is held at OMSI. You must have ID to prove that you are 21 and older. You get free samples of alcoholic beverages with entry. Parking is free. They have the cafeteria open so you can purchase food and drinks. They have a couple of exhibits open so you can look around the museum. Multiple guest speakers are presenting throughout the night. They have a large showroom that has multiple vendors giving free samples of food and drinks along with vendors selling food and drinks. This room is filled with puzzles and exhibits. I will return. Great date night event. read more

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We spent over $100 on a sham ripoff show called Beautifica which was just like going to a 1970's badly produced light show. Don't waste your money! Shame on you, OMSI for hosting such a SHAM, read more

I've been to 2 events so far, Ciderfest and Pickle It, and feel like this event isn't so much informative as it is an opportunity for vendors to sell and people to consume. I suppose that's all well and good for Ciderfest but the pickle event I thought there'd be more demos and how to's. The line to use the drink tickets also was understaffed and moved super slow for Pickle It, so it took away from time to enjoy the rest. It's always good to see the exhibits and play read more

The four stars is for the event, but if I had to rate OMSI on its own, the rating would be much lower. There were vendors who served alcohol, ice cream, kombucha, coffee, etc, which was probably the most fun part of the experience. We got to sample beers from different breweries. My favorite was trying the nondairy based ice cream from Little Bean. Little Bean was doing a promotion, since they are opening this year in October in the Pearl District. The exhibits here felt underwhelming (especially after having been to the Exploratorium in San Francisco). It felt like I was at a middle or high school science fair. However, one of the volunteers there was super engaging and showed us some cool science tricks; I was thoroughly amused. The theme of the night was music related and titled "Good Vibrations." I didn't really find a lot of the booths very interesting. Some of the things that stood out to me was the DJ booth, the theremin at a booth advertising a recording studio, and another booth with fruits that you can tap to make sounds. My friends and I watched the Lady Gaga laser show, which was mildly entertaining. read more

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The event we went to was called "Game On." The description specified "board games" as well as other types of games. Neither my son nor I drink, but we are both huge gamers. And we LOVE board games. Some of the other stuff sounded OK, but we wanted to play games. It is in the name of the event. So my son got off work early. And we drove downtown to OMSI. And we parked far away (OMSI oversold the event) and had to figure out "parking kitty." We waited in line (OMSI oversold the event) in the rain. When we got in, we walked around looking for board games. But that wasn't really what this event was about. It was about drinking. And we don't drink. Everything had lines (again, OMSI oversold the event). Maybe if we drank waiting in line would be fine. We didn't play one game. We tried to say something to the guys at the front desk, but they were not really the people who could do anything. We tried to give them our drink tickets, but they said they couldn't take them (good for them) - we gave them to the first person we saw. Then we left. And we drove home. We spent $50 plus parking plus gas. It was a very disappointing evening. The advertisement should have been more clear. read more

If it weren't for Yelp Elite event, I wouldn't have come here. I am glad I came though, as the whole thing was so much fun. The restaurant had good food and good beer even though the lines were a bit long to get a beer. The gift shop was big and open. The art show that was taking place at the time of the elite event was also interesting. The best part the whole experience is that one got to be a kid again and play with all kinds of toys that normally adults don't get to enjoy because there would be kids all over them. I am sure I will be back sometime in the near future. read more

OMSI - Bugs R US - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The Exquisite Creatures Exhibit by Christopher Marley was wonderful and it was so cool to see/touch live snakes and turtles at some of the vendors! When going to OMSI after dark events, don't go on an empty stomach since the vendors give up samples and there are more alcohol options than food. it's so nice to be able to walk around OMSI without kids around! I know it's more largely geared towards children, but I still want to go explore, look and learn, especially with a drink in hand! read more

OMSI - Gingerbread competition - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I've been to Omsi after dark a few times now. Mostly I give it a high rating because there's no kids there. Of course, there can be lots of drinking, which can be annoying at times. When it comes to drinking too many people become line cutters and I don't play that game, ever. You WILL get behind me when I'm in line for anything, anywhere. That's my one gripe about doing this. Other than the occasional rude drinkers it's pretty chill. You can just walk around and check everything out. It's nice to do every once in a while. read more

OMSI - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I really enjoyed the entire evening. The beverages were great the s'mores were amazing along with the exhibits and opportunity to play as adults. I don't think we get enough of this in our lives and this was the perfect opportunity to recharge and have grownup fun playing as a kid with the puzzles and skills tests. What a phenomenal job they did of setting it up read more

OMSI - Store - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We had a really fun time at the renaissance/medieval night! There were a whole slew of activities to explore, including the DaVinci exhibit, from blacksmithing to medical care. It was fun talking with the vendors about what they do, as well. We picked up some great mead and hotsauces, and learned about how cannons and swordfighting work. Highly recommend! It was a bit crowded, so get their early and prepare for a lot of people. read more

I love the OMSI after dark events. I've been to several of these and they are really fun. Most recently I went to the Beer event and it's a really fun favorite. read more

OMSI - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

**WC** Honestly I think I was better off since I am in a wheelchair...otherwise get here wicked early because WOW...we were there around 615pm and there right upfront was listed ADA overflow parking because the lot was full. So, in a way, we parked closer because the lot was full I guess since we are ADA. Rolling around itself was pretty easy - I had not experienced OMSI at any time of day in a wheelchair so without kids around was nice - I get concerned because kids so not always pay attention and I cannot see if my wheels are about to run someone over - ask my husband! We went to the Medieval Science exhibit which was super fun for use even though I used to fence with the SCA...actually it made it even more fun since I was not expecting to run into people I know and I ran into several running different exhibits and one who gave a great lecture. I will admit a lot of the stuff was actually more fun for us seeing "normal people" playing with swords and learning things they had no clue about so bravo Joe Public! We ate before going and neither are the plastic cup of booze type but that's there if you need to drink and science. They also have some snacks! read more

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OAD Really cool but dang the crowds were massive! The play room was packed with lines for booze and food that made playing with the exhibits impossible. I did make it through the play area before it became a madhouse. The exhibits are obviously for kids but if you give adults booze, most become child like. So it works out. My Wife and I are older but young at heart. My Wife was a little under the weather on the night of OAD so it wasn't as fun for her. Me. I loved it. I really liked the Water Rockets. Water and Air Pressure makes for some cool rockets. If i ever win the lottery.... (I don't gamble, so my odds of winning are slightly less.) ..... I am definitely getting a Water Rocket Setup in my yard. And it will most definitely be more dangerous than the one at OMSI. I really, really wanted to play with the Robot Arms but this couple that was playing the game it has. Were locked into some fierce competition. I just wanted to play with the Robot Arms. First Come, First Served. All the lines for Food and Drinks were crazy long. I estimated it would take 30-40 minutes from the time we got in line to getting food. 15 less for drinks alone. So my Wife and I decided to enjoy more O A D and get food on the way home. The food all looked amazing. The Nachos. I wanted it so much but I soon heard the Words, "86 Nachos". The OMSI Crew did come up with another version of what they started out with and people continued to order them. The demonstrations were all very cool. I did not like the Shark Dissection. My culture believes you come back as a shark. So it was difficult to see a shark like that. I did like the huge rock with a dinosaur dolphin skull in it. Ya. I know right. How did they know it was in the rock? They x-rayed it. Not sure why they x-rayed a rock but they did and found bones. Ah. Science. You mysterious fiend All in all O A D was fun. Tips. OAD starts at 7. We showed up at about 7:30 and the line was past OMSI but we got in within 10 minutes. Eat before you go. Unless you really don't mind waiting. Prepare for crowds. People are rude wherever you go. Most are cool but some... Not so much. Be prepared to wait for certain exhibits. Either by waiting for your turn or because of the crowds. Still, each OAD has a different theme. I don't remember what the next one is but you can look it up. I can't wait for the next OAD. read more

I'm gonna echo what I see below. Way oversold; I attended last night's Astronomy event. It took 20 minutes to get a wristband. There's no signage about what to do if you already have tickets. Your ticket does say "skip the line" if you read the fine print. The wristband security took their job v seriously but that means the line moved v v v slowly. There were 5-6 separate lines near the entrance but no signage about what to do if you already have tickets. Inside, there were long lines for everything. I got here around 745. I was in line for the Planetarium at 810. I had to ask if the 8 show had already started and how many seats the planetarium holds (160) because the line was so long. Because of the crowd, it was v hot. I ditched that line, went and waited in a line for a beer sample (it wasn't moving because people kept cutting in from the front sides, v v v disorganized) and finally settled into the wine line. $9 and 10 minutes later, I was back in line at 825 for the 830 show. The line was much longer than 160 but I figured I'd get into the 9 show bear the front of the line. So I spent from 825 til 9 in line, hot, with wine. The planetarium show Extreme Planets was oriented to one side of the room so half the room had a crappy, crane-your-neck view. But that was awesome, and unique and made me feel less scammed. After we came out at 930, pretty much everything was shut down. If this were my event, a $15 ticket should include 1 drink. The window should be bigger, from 5p to 10p and I still think, even doing that, they should incorporate the outside space and sell less tickets. I think I saw online while buying, the cap was 500. Omsi can't really accommodate that many people inside. Something Austin City Limits (I only mention because of the size of the crowds there) does is integrate a wristband for paying. I think getting a wristband ahead of time that can be activated for payment is an option when Omsi is doing these events monthly. That would solve the wristband line and cut down the drink lines. Final caveat, I think the first time I went to Omsi was an After Dark with the Yelp Elites that allowed access to the (retro gaming?) exhibit, themed around Fire and Ice. There were tons of food options (a million samples), less people, the outside space was used (with the Unipiper in attendance!) and drinks were not $9. I realize this probably spoiled me but wow, Omsi has got some work to do on these After Darks. -Astronomically Disappointed read more

Tips for visiting OMSI After Dark We went to Corklandia in November. We read the reviews on Trip Adviser and Yelp and some of the suggestions were helpful Tip #1 Eat before you arrive. The food at the event are super tiny portions and you only get a couple of food tickets. Several of the options weren't even appealing. Tip #2 Parking. OMSI has two large parking lots. OMSI closes at 5:30 and families are leaving so the spaces open up. There is also on street parking nearby and Max has a OMSI stop. There was also no issues leaving, no crowds or lines. Tip #3 Crowds and Long lines? This was not our experience. The event was sold out so we expected crowds. We arrived early and were let in before 6pm. That gave us a whole hour to explore with no lines. It gave us time to visit with the venders while everyone else was waiting in lines, being carded and checked in. Tip #4 Take advantage of the planetarium, the free lectures and the fun OMSI exhibits. read more

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Wow! What a great crowd on a Wednesday. The venue was amazing. The way the organizers put the breweries spread out around the museum was very crafty. No pun intended... Definitely a great night. My only qualm would be the submarine. I Love Subs! Maybe next year there can be a contest to have your booth on the sub or near it? read more

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I was a big fan of OMSI A/D. I was there when it started. I bought a membership for it. Then, things turned for the crap. As I said, I had an A/D membership with one of the cool features being not waiting in time. Sounds great, right? No. One event with "extra" benefits to not wait in line, and all that good stuff. However, it started to go awry when we went for a "beerfest" where we didn't wait in line but the beerfest was SOLD OUT. Maybe save some for the members. The tipping an ending point for me was when they ended the membership line - as in, I had to wait in line for everyone else. I'm no better than anybody except in this fact, I WAS - in that I had membership. It was so absurd that I was furious - and over the membership. I didn't renew and haven't been back for an A/D since. A shame, It was pretty cool. read more

Super fun! I've been to one before but "Pig & Swig" was funner. I went alone.. But it was cool bc there are plenty of folks to interact with. Food offerings were lovely as was booze. Unfortunately it was super crowded. Being from NYC, I was able to navigate but I can see getting annoyed about it, too. Pixar exhibit was super fun! Will Def be back. read more

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Ive wanted experience this for so long and last night made it happen at Mary's & Mimosas: A Brunch Themed Affair. Need I say more? No, but I will anyway. Local distilleries and restaurants offered up sizable samples of Mary's, mimosas, and brunch items on their menus. It was super yummy and boozy. Me and my friends had a blast. AND it was in a Friday. I believe it's usually on a weeknight, which is a drag. OMSI with no kids plus booze and food? Uh, this is a no-brainer. The event was well-run and the museum was as great as ever. read more

Ok OMSI this one was awesome. Great people and lines not long.. We got ciot hats. Many drinks read more

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Last night my beau and I attended the OMSI After Dark event which is held the last Wednesday of every month from 6pm - 10pm. I have wanted to go to OMSI since I moved here, but hordes of squealing, hyper children being chased by frantic parents is not my scene. After Dark gives any person over the age of 21 an option to go and enjoy science without having to "enjoy" children. They rid the museum of all the little weezers, stay open until 10 (usually closing at 5:30pm), bring in booze and let you take your adult beverages anywhere. They must really trust us! Tickets for the event are $10, one dollar off normal adult admission. I suggest ordering and printing online as we bought ours the day of and got to skip the long and growing ticket line. Along with our admission to the entire museum including the Da Vinci exhibit, we received a sample of local organic vodka, Elemental Vodka, and unlimited samples of Hot Lips Soda. Cash bars were scattered throughout and prices are what you expect to pay at a function like this, $4.50 for a domestic bottle up to $8.00 for premium wine. There were other activities available for a cost such as Starry Night Live - Constellations of Spring in the Planetarium and a Laser Radiohead show later in the evening. I thought the event was a huge success. The place was packed and people were buying drinks and really enjoying themselves getting into the activities. I was worried that four hours was not going to be enough time to see/experience it all but it was perfect. We were tired and ready to leave by 9:30pm. My complaint would be that it was too packed and was hard to get into some of the exhibits; especially in the Da Vinci exhibit. At most points we were four people back and everyone around us was bumping into one another. At that point we would just move on and not bother waiting. I like to loose myself in museums and it would have been impossible based on the number of people. I am still glad we choose this night to go and if I was to go back, I would make sure it was an After Dark evening. I think OMSI should explore the option of doing an event like that maybe a little more often. read more

OMSI - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

OMSI is awesome, but it's also more fun when the kids aren't around...right? Well, that's the theory, but a kid-free OMSI attracts a LOT of adults! Expect big lines and make sure to register for special events early because the popular ones sell out fast. The coolest thing that I found there the last time I went was the "egg drop" lab! There was a table full of everyday objects from plastic bottles, toilet paper tubes, plastic bags, masking tape, and drinking straws as well as some Nickelodeon Gak. The objective is to build a contraption that would allow you to drop an egg safely from the 2nd story balcony. I succeeded where many have messily failed, and it was all in great fun! Lots of cash beer/wine bars are scattered about (including some fare from local wineries), but only the truly brave will venture into the cafeteria to try out their "gourmet" offerings. The descriptions on paper will make your mouth water, but the manufactured slop will make your stomach churn. You're downtown, go eat someplace else! Your body will appreciate it! Ambiance: 5 Fun: 5 Crowds: 1 Food: 1 Bonus: +1 for no children & egg drop lab TLDR: Crowded, new activities not normally offered, no kids allowed, cash bars, STAY AWAY FROM THE FOOD!!! read more

To start I've loved OMSI with my kids for years. Now I had the chance to go for the 2019 Octoberfest. I had a great time! The variety of activities and beers was wonderful. I was able to bounce from live music to comedy to playing in the turbine hall without the kids. I admit it, I love playing there as much as they do. Only I got to enjoy it all with a delightful beer. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and short lines for tasters. The usual suspects of IPAs was present, but several stouts, and a few unique brews were there too. Only drawback was not enough food. There was a noticeable lack of food unless you wanted sweets or expensive jerky. All in all I would happily go again read more

Too crowded. Didn't actually attend because line was so very long. We enjoy Omsi but we are not crowd lovers.

The price of the day time (with kids), and the night time (+18, and booze) is the same price $13 per person. Its in your opinion to see which crowd is better to fight with. I must say.. there are quite a lot of BIG KIDS (adults) that take their sweet ass time with some exhibits. So maybe it's down right equal, cept that some of the BIG KIDS (adults) often time don't use their best judgement on where to place their cup of beer. Saw a few spills during my time there. The smell is unpleasant. The only reason we came to the night time one.. was we missed the day time hours :( Also don't think the night time has the submarine available. But overall, I love interactive museums such as this one, and the one in SF. The unique thing about the one in Portland, is they have a few "labs" (chemical/laser.. etc) that allows you to try different things hands on. A lot of the bigger exhibits and displays are exactly the same as the one in other interactive museums. Just a tad bit run down. Hopefully they keep up with the maintenance. But definitely a good place to spend a good 4-5 hours, with big kids or little kids. All will enjoy :) read more

Agghhhhhhh! Fun!!!!!! Maybe it's the drinks, but really it's the fun exhibits that lead to hours of laughs, teasing, and rambunctiously running around. Free samples of Saint Cupcake, Hot Lips Soda (dang that's good stuff!!!), Dave's Killer Bread, Elemental Vodka, Moonstruck Chocolates and more! The companies giving out free samples change month to month. You can look at OMSI's website to see who to expect that month. Secret hint: Go to the free OMSI Science Pub the week before. (You have to get there over an hour early to get in. They are wicked popular and super entertaining.) There's a trivia round where you can win free tickets to OMSI and you can use them for After Dark! I did!!! read more

Bourbon and Bacon Fest 2018 - Never again. We've wanted to go to this for a few years, and were really excited. What a let down. What a joke!! Long lines, poor organization, small (tiny!) samples. This was a ridiculous rip off and waste of time. We literally stood in line for 15 mins for a 1/8 shot of bourbon. I don't know why they give you shot glasses when the vendors give you a thimble-sized sample. You'd have to use eight drink tickets to fill up the shot glass (you only get 6). THEN you get to wait in line again... This is really just waiting in line for a teeny bite or sip over and over. The map they gave out didn't tell us where each vendor was, so we waiting in long, long lines to even find out what was offered. Often the lines were not for ticket samples, rather to buy something ($38/pound beef jerky, $5 tiny cakes, $4 brownies). A hot, crowded, unorganized mess. We felt taken advantage of. A total rip off. Sold out event, indeed. We should have sold our tickets. read more

Regarding: OMSI After Dark: Oceans 8/30/2017, 8:00pm I purchased tickets online to attend this event. It was the first time ever going here. There were too many people for my comfort and perhaps it was oversold. However, my issue came when waiting for the shark dissection presentation in the Life Lab at 8:00pm. I surmise that 100 people were in that room. Only one door was opened (locked via levers at the edge of the door's inside edge) and by the time the room started to fill I felt uncomfortable with having only one door as an exit in the event of an emergency. I opened the second door and to my surprise, the door ONLY opened inward. As people continued to enter the room, I decided to leave as the room was even getting hot. When leaving the room, the first thing I thought was that if both doors closed and there was a panic, no one would get out. The doors only open inward...!!! Fire codes were changed decades ago because of deaths from doors unable to be utilized to exit. This is very disturbing. I let someone at the front desk know before I left. I will not return to OMSI. Very poor architecture and planning for the amount of people that attended this event. read more

It was my first time..... I didn't know what to expect..... Everyone says it's a lot of fun once you try....... OMSI After Dark Every LAST WEDNESDAY of every month, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) center holds a 21+ event showcasing samples of local beers or wines and food. If you enjoy adult-only events + booze, this would cater to you. I attended September's Burger's & Brew event. Non-members $25 and Members $15 will give you a pint size glass and about 10 tokens to sample the various local breweries. What breweries did I try? + Fish Brewery's "Spire Dark & Dry Cider" (**my fave of the night that I came back multiple times**) + Double Mountain Brewery's "The Vaporizer" + Buckman Botanical Brewery's "Ginger Pale Ale" + Fort George Brewery's "Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale" What food samples did I devour? +Nicky USA's open-faced "Bison Burger" (**my fave of the night**) +SortaSausage's "Hemp Burger" patty +Stock & Barrel's "Cheese Fondue + Bread" Parking can be a bit difficult since this these events are pretty popular, so you may want to get there early. The events run from 6PM-10PM. My first time was amazing..... Now I know what the fuss is all about........ And I'm looking forward to attending the next event ....... At OMSI After Dark read more

Geek, nerd, dweeb, dork...ok, yeah you got me. Guilty as charged. While these terms may have been mean spirited slurs during some of my more awkward teen years, they are now titles of honor that I pin fondly to the lab jacket of my persona. My name is Chris, I like science. I am a nerd. And you know what, I'm ok with it, because while the school yard tormentor is working at the local Quickie Mart to support his 6 brats and a toothless 300lb prostitute wife he met at a taping of the Jerry Springer show, this skinny legged geek got himself a fine ass hottie. "It's poetry in motion and now she's making love to me. The spheres're in commotion. The elements in harmony. She blinded me with science. She blinded me with science! And hit me with technology." - Thomas Dolby So when the TLB told me that OMSI, one of my favorite childhood haunts, was offering the opportunity at their monthly AfterDark event to wander the halls without the presence of shrieking children, with an adult beverage firmly in hand, it was something I couldn't turn down. And neither could a large portion of Portland's intelligent and cool populace. And while it was crowded, we still managed to create our own flying paper space ships, shoot balls across the padded room, make our hair stand up on end, and touch, push, pull and twist as many buttons, knobs, levers and handles we could get our hands on while occasionally learning a little more about the world we live in and what makes it tick. "From my heart and from my hand, why don't people understand, my intentions...ooooh, Weird Science" - Oingo Boingo Now I've never been confused with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, but after agreeing to hold on to one electrode while submersing my hand into a bowl of water containing the other electrode, Beaker might be my more apropos Muppet doppelganger. As my body completed the electrical circuit and began to twitch, shake and shudder like an epileptic lap dog on crack , the TLB said it reminded her of the Simpsons episode where the family goes in for a little "aversion therapy" with Dr. Monroe. Wow, I didn't realize a shock therapy session was included in the $10 ticket price. Since I prefunked with some good friends at Laurelwood beforehand, I used my advanced intelligence (finally) and passed on the samples of free vodka. I've learned through multiple self inflicted experiments that beer before liqueur...yeah it is scientifically true, really does make you sicker. The cash bars were a little overpriced, but that was to be expected. Plus, just having the opportunity to throw back a brew while pretending to be Mister Wizard was worth the $5 bottle of Mac's. Overall, we had a great time and if you don't mind the crowds it is the best way to experience OMSI. "I've got science for any occasion, postulating theorems formulating equations" - Beastie Boys read more