When you visit CSI: The Experience, you first enter a Briefing Theater to watch a fast-paced introduction on a giant flat-screen TV. None other than Anthony E. Zuiker, the creator of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, greets you and shares what inspired him to create the TV show. Then, real-life forensic scientist Ron Singer briefly explains the science to be found in the exhibit. 

 

Finally, CSI’s lead investigator, Gil Grissom, steps in and introduces himself as your CSI supervisor. He issues a challenge: “Keep an open mind,” he warns. “Remember, the dead can’t speak for themselves. Listen to what the evidence is saying.”

You then begin an intriguing journey to solve a crime mystery by entering one of three very different crime scenes: 

 

In “A House Collided” a car has run through the living room window of a house in a quiet suburb. In the driver’s seat is a man with his seatbelt on; he is slumped over. The windshield is shattered and the car door is shut. In the living room, there are muddy shoeprints, drops of blood and a stain near a sofa. A pizza box is open with pepperoni pizza spilled on the floor. A beer bottle is by the car door, and a hand print of blood (or is it pizza sauce?) is found on the car hood.  

In “Who Got Served?” a young woman has been found dead in an alley behind an old Las Vegas motel. She is sprawled beneath a dumpster overflowing with trash and is wearing a waitress outfit with a nametag that reads “Penny.” There is a tire tread across her abdomen, and tossed nearby is a photo of her, which has been ripped in half. No other injuries are visible. Amongst the trash are a handbag and a cell phone.

 

In“No Bones About It!”a hiker has stumbled across what looks like a human skull sticking out of the ground. It is partially buried by silt and debris. Other bones are scattered underneath the dirt. The skull has a visible hole in it; and among the remains, there are still tattered remnants of a coat and what appears to be a backpack.

 

After exiting the crime scenes,you’ll refer to a large wall of crime scene photos and clues you may have missed then begin to analyze evidence in two highly interactive lab areas, each featuring multiple stations that allow for various evidence testing.

Guests who are investigating “A House Collided” will compare fingerprints of the victim to the evidence, examine blood spatter patterns, observe the shoes of the victim and tracks found in the room, compare fibers on the victim’s clothes with fibers in the room, analyze the victim’s blood-alcohol level, compare DNA of the victim with evidence and eventually discover the cause of death.

 

For “Who Got Served?”your investigation will includereviewing evidence within a cell phone, examining the contents of the handbag, inspecting the purse and headshot for fingerprints, establishing the time of death, reviewing DNA samples, testing powder from the handbag at the scene, and discovering the cause of death.

 

If you’re working on “No Bones About It”you’llanalyze the bullet from the found skull, analyze hairs found with the body, examine a seed found in the fabric of the tattered shirt, test the DNA of an animal’s hair, compare dental records to the victim, and discover the cause of death.

Here lies the moment of truth. At the end of the exhibit, you’ll present your findings in a recreation of the office of Gil Grissom— the enigmatic CSI Supervisor. You’ll be asked to answer a series of multiple choice questions, based on your scientific findings, on touch screens located in this area. After completing these questions, you’ll get feedback from Grissom and see if you’ve cracked the case!


All About the Science

• DNA identification: understanding the fundamental principles of genetic biology and advances in DNA profiling that have greatly advanced the forensic science field;
• Toxicology: identifying the presence of drugs or poisons in body tissues, fluids and organs;
• Forensic anthropology: examining human skeletal remains for forensic purposes;
• Forensic entomology: studying the presence of insects and or insect eggs in dead bodies to help determine the time or location of the death;
• Forensic pathology: looking for trauma or anomalies in the body’s systems that explain sickness or death.
• Forensic art: using an understanding of anatomy and physiology to create images.
• Firearm and toolmark identification: using observation skills to match patterns and learning the basic physics behind ballistics.
• Information technology: understanding the use of national databases, cell phones, cameras, e-mails and other digital technologies to track and investigate crimes.
• Latent prints: using chemistry to reveal fingerprints or handprints that are not visible to the naked eye.
• Blood splatter analysis: studying blood patterns to determine movement, speed, direction, location, etc. – all to help identify what took place at the crime scene.

• Video monitors with scenes from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and real-life scientists talking about their areas of expertise
• Mass Spectrometer
• Microscopes
• Magnifiers, templates
• Computer databases
• Personal computers with touch-screen technology
• UV light sources
• Cell phone seizure kit
• Chemistry equipment, reagents and Headspace Gas Chromatograph
• DNA instrument systems
• Live scan fingerprinting and other biometric systems
• Ballistics identification systems and bullet trap

Forensic Science Terminology