MUSEUM | Hot Wheels exhibit

By Rebecca Rafferty @rsrafferty

[
      {
        "name": "500x250 Ad",
        "insertPoint": "5",
        "component": "15667920",
        "parentWrapperClass": "",
        "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
      }
    ]

On Saturday, February 6, The Strong Museum (1 Manhattan Square) will open its new "Hot Wheels: Race to Win" exhibit. More than a simple focus on the beloved toy, this exhibit is geared toward education about physics, with information about what goes into the sport of racing.

In the Blue Zone, visitors will have the chance to discover elements of design, development, and testing of cutting-edge car technology; basically, how engineers choose all the right elements of to make a vehicle built for maximum speed. This section also includes an interactive Aerodynamics Computer Simulator that reveals how air flows over three different styles of race cars, and a station to test the velocity of different Hot Wheels toy cars on an adjustable track.

The Yellow Zone explores the mechanics of what makes a car go, with the opportunity to pit two Hot Wheels cars — one powered by gravity, the other by a "booster" — against one another. At the Green Zone, kids can suit up to complete a stock car pit stop and learn about different styles of racing. And the Red Zone focuses on the human elements of reflexes and safety, with examples of protective technology and equipment.

The exhibit continues through April 24, and is included in general admission ($14, free to members and kids under age 2). Museum hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. 263-2700; museumofplay.org.