Experience Da Vinci

The international touring exhibit, The Da Vinci Experience, is visiting the Woodbury Art Museum. Florence Italy’s Luigi Rizzo assembles the exhibits to scale based on Da Vinci’s sketches and originals. The museum provides a way to learn and celebrate the life of the renowned genius.

There are 60 replicas of Da Vinci’s inventions. His ideas helped to create devices we still use today, like cars, life preservers and paddle boats. He even invented the first robot. It could open and close its jaw and move its arms and eyes. It is believed to have been presented at a banquet to entertain the royal courts. Models of the “Mona Lisa,” the “Last Supper” and many of Da Vinci’s other famous works are also on display.

Many of the replicas are interactive. For example, Da Vinci invented a portable bridge. It was created for warfare, so that an army could assemble a bridge strong enough to get the entire army and their gear over the water and disassemble it as they crossed.

The exhibit has a smaller version of the bridge that visitors can try to assemble. It is harder than it looks, but with a few tries anyone can get the bridge standing.

“Touching and being able to play with all of the inventions is what made the museum fun,” said Naomi, a visitor from Idaho. After visitors have seen all of the replicas, they can take a whack at making some of Da Vinci’s inventions. There are supplies to make his helicopter, parachute and a puzzle.

The exhibit is located in the University Mall upstairs between Nordstrom’s and Shade Clothing. The Da Vinci Experience will be in the Woodbury Museum until October 4. Admission is $6 with a student ID. Student groups of 15 or more can buy tickets discounted to $3.