"Voyage to the Deep," a new offering from the Jacksonville Museum of History and Science, opens its hatch and invites the public aboard for an exhibit themed after the 1870 Jules Verne novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea."
Starting Saturday, visitors can join the Voyage, with MOSH planning themed activities and events in its education department for children in preschool up to teens in the 11th grade.
Minnesota-based Flying Fish Exhibits constructed and designed the exhibit, with MOSH eyeing future collaborations in the near future.
"They build highly interactive exhibits that are historically based, in this case, it's more historical fiction," Anthony Mortimer, vice president of education and exhibits at MOSH, said. "The designers did a good job of paying attention to the book details. ... It's a great opportunity for us not only to provide an entertaining look at the world of submarines and under the ocean, but also a chance to really engage our visitors in some classic literature, even if they've never read the book, or if it's been a long time, like it was for me."
The exhibition's centerpiece is a five-part model submarine based on the Nautilus ship that serves as the setting for much of the book, featuring a bridge, control room, salon, living quarters and engine room with interactive activities geared toward children and families throughout.
Giant squid attacks, an escape hatch-turned-winding-slide, educational materials on real life sea treasure, the lost city of Atlantis, and a two-person piloting simulator for the submarine await patrons willing the brave the vast oceans.
"Voyage To The Deep" runs through Jan. 8 and replaces MOSH's long-running dinosaur exhibit.
