When I was a little kid I used to dress up as Leonardo da Vinci for Halloween. As a then-4-year-old boy, I didn't fully understand who da Vinci was or why he was famous, but I did understand he was a great painter and invented scissors. That was good enough for me. Twelve-ish years later and I'm still a big fan of da Vinci with a picture of the Mona Lisa hanging in my room.
The new special exhibit, Leonardo da Vinci-500 Years of Genius, at the Canada Science and Technology Museum is an in-depth look at the works and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci certain to satisfy both hydraulic engineers, and kids who just want to play with the first-ever ball bearings device.
I was interested in the historical timelines they have posted throughout the exhibit, detailing the geo-political conditions at the time of each of da Vinci's major life events. The multisensory video and light showroom was very cool and filled with kids of all ages learning about the invention of mechanical wings.
Later, I walked through the in-depth photographic analysis of the Mona Lisa. I found it really interesting discovering the 25 hidden secrets of da Vinci's most famous painting and seeing the development of the Mona Lisa from grey and white canvas to the full colored wooden plank version now famous worldwide. As well the museum features an interactive section of the exhibit where visitors are encouraged to play with and move models of some of da Vinci's inventions and try to understand the physics behind them.
The exhibit as a whole follows a chronological order but everyone is encouraged to move along at their own pace. Everyone will love the exhibit, from historians to explorers to kids who want to learn something new. I recommend going to the Canada Science and Technology Museum and checking out their new da Vinci special exhibit.
