![The Science Behind Pixar The Science Behind Pixar](/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pixar-Banner-V2.jpg)
FEATURED EXHIBIT
Now Closed
Entry: Exhibit Ticket Required | Location: Union Terminal
Take your imagination to infinity… and beyond!
It’s your turn in the artist’s seat as we reveal The Science Behind Pixar.
Since Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story debuted in 1995, generations have grown up with the studio’s films and characters. Now discover the science that brings them to life.
The interactive exhibition showcases the boundless limits of STEM, imagination and curiosity, thrilling you as you come face-to-face with popular characters, including Buzz Lightyear, Dory, Mike and Sulley, Edna Mode and WALL•E.
Through eight interactive areas, The Science Behind Pixar empowers you to imagine the STEM concepts behind Pixar’s films by shining a lamp on eight of the steps in the filmmaking process – modeling, rigging, surfaces, sets and cameras, animation, simulation, lighting and rendering. The exhibition delivers an unparalleled view of the production pipeline used by Pixar’s artists and computer scientists, featuring more than 50 interactive elements, including:
- Discover how camera placement and angles created a bug’s-eye view in A Bug’s Life
- Create a digital sculpture from an artist’s sketch
- Use lights to solve challenges similar to ones faced by Pixar in creating underwater scenes in Finding Nemo
- See how models are given a virtual skeleton that enables animators to pose them
- Build a robot inspired by those in WALL•E
- Try your hand at stop-motion animation of a jumping lamp and watch a short film of what you produced
- See and touch scale models of many of Pixar’s beloved characters
The Science Behind Pixar is supported locally by Anne Drackett Thomas.
The Science Behind Pixar is funded through support by Google, members of the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative (SMEC), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The Science Behind Pixar was developed by the Museum of Science Boston in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios. ©Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
Select evening hours
See what happens after dark with extended hours for The Science Behind Pixar and evening showtimes in the OMNIMAX® Theater on select Fridays.
- Friday, April 22
![Pixar_Monsters Inc](/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Pixar_Monsters-Inc-160x107.jpg)
Deaf Day in The Science Behind Pixar
Saturday, August 27 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Join us on Saturday, August 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. for Deaf Day in The Science Behind Pixar!
Cincinnati State’s Interpreter Training Program student interpreters and teachers will be on hand to help Deaf individuals fully enjoy their The Science Behind Pixar experience. Interpreters will be greeting guests at the front doors, with the ticketing staff at the kiosk and inside The Science Behind Pixar exhibit, ready to help facilitate communication between guests and staff. The Science Behind Pixar is a fully accessible exhibit with hands-on interactives and fully captioned videos. We are excited for this opportunity to offer this extra level of engagement within The Science Behind Pixar for our local Deaf community.
Tickets for The Science Behind Pixar
Adults: | $19.50 |
Seniors: | $15.50 |
Ages 3-12: | $15.50 |
Ages 1-2: | FREE |
Under 1 year: | FREE |
Member Adult: | $13.50 |
Member Child: | $9.50 |
Museums for All pricing $7
Museum Hours
Open Thursday – Monday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
Member’s-only early entry: Saturdays at 9 a.m.
Customer Service Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.