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Home

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  • Discover Something New

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  • Visit the Museum

    Find all the information you need to plan an incredible day at the Museum.

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      • Code of Conduct
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    • Exhibits
      • All Theaters
      • 4-D Films
      • Omni Films
      • Planetarium Shows
    • Live Presentations & Activities

    Visit the Museum

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    Plan Your Trip
  • Explore Events

    Our special programs and themed weekends put the power of discovery in your hands.

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    See All Events
  • Teaching STEM

    Fuel your students' natural curiosity and get them to think like scientists and engineers with our Museum of Science resources.

    Learn More
    Back
    • Plan a Field Trip
    • Explore Pre-K - 8 Curricula
    • Access Educator Resources
    • Professional Learning Communities
    • High School Science Series

    Teaching STEM

    Fuel your students' natural curiosity and get them to think like scientists and engineers with our Museum of Science resources.

    Learn More
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    Join our community and help grow a unique space for curiosity, discovery and inspiration.

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Electricity

Image
Educator Jeannine with a tesla coil sparking and a glowing light bulb
Video
Watch
time
under 1 minute
Apr 13, 2025

This Bulb Glows With No Wires?!

How is this light bulb glowing with no wires or plug? 💡 Museum Educator Jeannine demonstrates the magic of a Tesla coil—an invention from 1891 that uses wireless power to light a bulb through the air!
Image
A lighting blot from the Van de Graaff with the text "How can I turn lighting into music?"
Video
Watch
time
under 1 minute
Apr 4, 2025

How Lightning Becomes Music with Tesla Coils

How can lightning make music? Educator Lauren from the Museum of Science, Boston, breaks it down using two giant Tesla coils—machines that create sparks like lightning.
Image
Museum Educator Locke with a Van de Graaf generator, with his hair standing on end
Video
Watch
time
Under 1 minute
Jan 5, 2025

Electrifying Experiments: Science of Static!

How does a Van de Graaff generator make your hair stand on end? Museum Educator Locke explains how there are positive and negative electric charges in everything.
Image
Alex Dainis and a battery made out of dirt
Video
Watch
time
Under 1 minute
Oct 18, 2024

Power a Light Bulb with Mud! DIY Science Battery

How do you make a battery out of dirt? In this video, Alex Dainis explains that a small container of dirt, a penny, a nail, and an alligator wire can be combined to make a rudimentary battery.
Live Presentation
Check the Daily Schedule for Times

Tesla Coils!

Explore electrical energy using the Museum’s collection of Tesla coils! Enjoy the sights and sounds as sparks arc and dance through the air.
Image
A diagram from the patent for a one wire system with ground return
Kahoot
Play
time
20 minutes
Feb 1, 2024

History of Light & Electricity

Explore a brief history of humanity's relationship to light, electricity, and the spirit of invention. From fire to modern day light bulbs, how we light our world has come a long way in just a few hundred years.
Image
A diagram of power lines from the United Edison Manufacturing Co.
Kahoot
Play
time
20 minutes
Feb 1, 2024

All About Patents

What is a patent? Discover how inventors share their creations and are recognized for making something new. Learn the rules you need to follow to get a patent and dream up your own new invention.
Image
Lewis Latimer's drafting tools over an image of his desk.
Kahoot
Play
time
20 minutes
Feb 1, 2024

Lewis Latimer's Tools for Inventing

Lewis Latimer was an inventor in the 1800s but he didn't create his inventions out of thin air. He used tools to assist him! Discover what tools are needed to be a draftsman and see what we still use today!
Live Presentation
Check the Daily Schedule for Times

Lightning!

Explore lightning and storm safety as the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator hurls indoor bolts.
Image
Lewis Latimer overlayed on an image of his house in Queens.
Kahoot
Play
time
20 minutes
Feb 1, 2023

Latimer's Story: From Chelsea to Flushing

Meet Lewis Latimer and discover his history as a Black inventor in 1800s America. From growing up in Chelsea, Massachusetts to his home in Flushing, New York, Latimer has an engaging story and history.
Podcast
Listen
time
8 minutes
Sep 20, 2021

Why Is Our Lightning Purple?

The indoor sparks we create in our Theater of Electricity are purple, and visitors often ask what causes the color. We explore the reasons behind different shades of lightning, including atmospheric composition, humidity, and temperature.
Podcast
Listen
time
12 minutes
Dec 14, 2020

Can We Restore Mobility to Spinal Injury Patients?

Biomedical Engineer Dr. Parag Gad tells us about a noninvasive technique that can help paralyzed patients regain the use of their extremities as well as other systems of the body.
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