"The Big Pipe"
Take an above ground look at the problem of combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and learn about one of the biggest CSO solutions - the West Side Big Pipe project - currently under construction along the Willamette River. The exhibit's six interactive stations feature videos, models, maps - even a toilet - to explain the history of Portland's outdated sewer system, the negative affect CSOs have on the Willamette and the complex, three-phase project that will help clean up the river. With a special focus on the West Side Big Pipe project, the 500 square-foot display is designed to give visitors of all ages a better understanding of what's going on above and below ground, and why this project is so important for a cleaner Willamette and healthier ecosystem. Exhibit produced by OMSI, in partnership with the City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services.

Hanford at the Half Life
Hanford at the Half Life takes visitors to Richland, Washington to learn how one of the world's most serious environmental hazards came to be and about the clean up methods currently in use. In 1942, Hanford was selected as the site of the United States "secret, military, war industry" to produce plutonium for atomic weapons ahead of Germany and Japan. Following the war, Hanford continued to produce plutonium for thermonuclear weapons. The by-product was millions of gallons of radioactive fluids and tons of waste. In Hanford at the Half Life, visitors measure radiation, discover how radioactive fluids have seeped into the soil, undergo a radiation exposure screening, and learn about the efforts to control the contamination and protect the Columbia River from a major environmental disaster.

El Niņo
How can temperature changes in the waters of the Pacific Ocean impact weather around the world? That question and many others are answered in this exhibit, which explores the impact of El Nino on the global climate. Join us on a meteorological detective hunt as you delve into this powerful phenomenon, and the incredible satellite technology that scientists use to measure and track it, in this exciting exhibit.

Nature's Fury
Get up close and personal with some of earth's greatest natural phenomena. Pass your hands through a twisting vortex of air that simulates the wind dynamics of a tornado. Or check out The Wave Tank, and watch and listen to the rhythmic movement of waves washing on a sandy beach within a 12 foot long aquarium.