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EXPLORING THE LAND WORKING THE LAND SHARING THE LAND
 
flint hills discovery center
Museums + Zoos + Art

Flint Hills Discovery Center

This space tells the story of the Flint Hills and makes it something

that kids can really embrace.

Stephen Bridenstine, Assistant Director, Development

The Flint Hills Discovery Center aims to inspire visitors of all ages to protect and celebrate one of the largest remaining tallgrass prairies on earth. Looking to transform the second-floor mezzanine children’s area, Discovery Center stakeholders called upon DI and partners McCownGordon Construction, BBN Architects and Paul Orselli Workshops to create Prairie Playscape - an exciting, hands-on educational experience designed for the littlest of learners. Since opening, Prairie Playscape has been granted the Award of Honor from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Kansas.

 

Prairie Playscape features three themed areas: Exploring the Land, Working the Land, and Sharing the Land. Each designated area invites children to learn through play while discovering more about the Flint Hills’ unique and resourceful landscape.

 

 

 

Exploring the Land

Visitors can get an up-close look at the (real-life) animals, plants and layered surfaces throughout the rolling Flint Hills. To give a true sense of the prairie ground itself, DI created a textured tunnel children can crawl through to see and feel the hills from within. Drawers holding fossils, antlers, jaw bones, preserved flowers and more are there to illustrate the rich history and long-standing animal population of the prairie.

DI created a wind tunnel activation demonstrating the impact and power of the terrain’s gusty winds. Visitors can insert a ball or piece of fabric to see how quickly pollen and seeds are dispersed throughout the Flint Hills.

 

Working the Land

Learn how humans interact with the prairie and the wildlife within it. DI created a digital interactive to complement the center’s custom mural. A touchscreen monitor replicates the mural with additional illustrations of plants, animals and unique events, such as wildfires, which visitors can click on to learn more. Standing binocular sets accompany the touchscreen, inviting visitors to see like a hawk and a grasshopper through magnified or kaleidoscope-colored lenses. 

flint hills discovery center

Using Natural Resources

The stone stacking wall is an interactive display showcasing one of the many ways farmers utilize rocks throughout the Flint Hills. Kids can build a stone wall of their own using faux magnetic rocks. 

Flint Hills

Life on the Prairie

Visitors can experience what it's like to be a cowboy on the prairie by exploring display cases of both antique and modern day ranch tools. Kids are invited to try on hats, chaps and vests to get a real feel for the job and can even digitally roam the Flint Hills on a horseback saddle.

 

Sharing the Land

Kids can learn more about one of the most famous exports of the prairie – cattle. Interactive puzzles and lifesize visual comparisons showcase how fast cows grow, what they eat (and how much), and the endless, multipurpose resources they offer. 

Arguably the most memorable interactive inside the playscape is the Cattle Digestive System, which demonstrates the lifecycle and importance of a cow’s leafy lunch. Visitors can turn the crank to raise the ball up into the cow’s mouth, down its throat and into its four-chamber stomach – all accompanied by sounds of chewing and other digestive audio. After successfully swiveling the ball into each chamber, visitors can squeeze it through the intestines, leaving the cow’s backside with a flatulent exit.

Prairie Playscape is a colorful and educational exhibition designed for children to explore the prairie’s unique ecosystem through fun, hands-on activities.


Learn more about children’s educational spaces, interactive kid zones and visitor centers.

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Whether you have a fully-baked idea or are just exploring the possible, our proven-effective approach makes it easy to help you determine where to start and how DI can help. We'd love to learn more!

 

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Carole Hollman

Carole Hollman

Practice Director - Cultural

With over 13 years of experience in the museum design/build world, Carole has successfully led and facilitated large-scale exhibit and interpretive projects of national importance around the country for over a decade. Carole’s passion... more about Carole Hollman Carole Hollman Carole Hollman Practice Director - Cultural

With over 13 years of experience in the museum design/build world, Carole has successfully led and facilitated large-scale exhibit and interpretive projects of national importance around the country for over a decade. Carole’s passion for storytelling and her love of the non-profit, educational world make her a natural and compassionate leader in this field. Her combined skills and professional experience make her a powerful listener, communicator, client liaison, internal and external group facilitator, conceptual thinker, visionary, and team leader.

Having spent 20+ years in a number of different creative and educational fields, she brings an added design mentality and the benefits of cross-industry experience to any project. She has an extensive background across a wide range of fields, including: Museum and Exhibit Design and Fabrication; Software Design and Development; Healthcare and Healthcare Education/Certification; Professional and Continuing Education; and K-12 Educational Design.

As the project leader, Carole’s main goal is to assemble the best team for each project, set them up for highest success, and let them do what they do best, while staying personally involved at a high level from beginning to end. Notable past projects include: The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum; Wonderscope Children’s Museum; UNMC McGoogan Library Wigton Heritage Center; Dane G. Hansen Museum; Zoo Knoxville, KidScape at the Johnson County Museum, and the Kansas Museum of History.

Paul Martin

Paul Martin

Director of Transit and Advanced Manufacturing

Brought onboard to Dimensional Innovations in 2020, Paul has over 20 years of experience developing and executing some of the world’s most challenging architectural cladding projects. He specializes in working directly with design,... more about Paul Martin Paul Martin Paul Martin Director of Transit and Advanced Manufacturing

Brought onboard to Dimensional Innovations in 2020, Paul has over 20 years of experience developing and executing some of the world’s most challenging architectural cladding projects. He specializes in working directly with design, ownership, and contracting teams to refine and optimize designs for fabrication and installation. Using DI’s advanced CNC equipment, including the largest 3D printer commercially available, Paul is able to assist designers in realizing their most ambitious projects, while working directly with the Operations group to ensure budget and schedule expectations. Paul is also able to leverage the vast capabilities with DI’s design and technology departments to further enhance the projects under development. 

 

Paul earned a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University. He often presents his work at industry conferences and guest lectures at various university programs.

 
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Get In Touch With Our Experts

Every big opportunity starts with a small step forward. We're here to help you! Let’s jump on the phone, say hello and discuss your need, idea or project in a quick 15-minute FIT call. Prefer email? That's cool, too! Drop us a line - we're always happy to connect.

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