Twenty-five is the magic number for the long-awaited Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation (MOXI), which will launch on the 25 February after receiving US$25m (€23.2m, £19.8m) in capital funding.
The project also took more than 25 years to complete, after being first proposed in 1990 when the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara incorporated as a non-profit organisation. The 25,000sq ft (2,300sq m) MOXI broke ground in 2014.
Located next to the train tracks and the Santa Barbara beach in the heart of the State Street tourist area, the hands-on science and technology museum offers 17,000sq ft (1,600sq m) of exhibit space spread over three floors, with more than 70 interactive exhibits and experiences grouped into seven broad topic areas called ‘Tracks’.
The museum’s interactive exhibits have been designed in collaboration with the award-winning museum planning firm Gyroscope, and fabricated by Creative Machines and Roto. The exhibits have developed created to align with the national agenda, aiming to boost student achievement in math and science.
Through the museum’s first floor, there are Tracks dedicated to Sound, Fantastic Forces and Tech, including a dedicated makerspace.
The second floor features exhibitions on Light, Speed and Interactive Media, including a small black box theatre that will house rotating exhibitions and shows. The third floor is home to the rooftop Levinson Family Sky Garden and features exhibits that take advantage of the natural elements and surrounding views.
Through the Tracks, MOXI staff known as ‘Sparks’ will offer hands-on exhibits, activities, demonstrations, challenges and games, encouraging guests to experiment, observe, explore, discover, question, make, and design.
The signature Santa Barbara Spanish Colonial style, sea-inspired building was the brainchild of the late Barry Berkus, whose vision was seen through by architects AB Design Studio following his death in 2012.
The building also has the distinction of being the first LEED certified museum in Santa Barbara County.
