Worth the Drive :: Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, MS
My family regularly travels out to Waveland, MS, where my parents own a beach house. On these short hour-long drives, we always pass the Infinity Space Center right after the exit to Waveland, but we’ve never stopped since our ultimate destination was always the beach. But this past summer, we finally decided to include the Infinity Space Center on one of our trips – and it was so worth it!
My seven, four, and two year old boys are very into hands-on, science-based learning, and this place is bursting at the seams with that kind of fun! I will admit that I expected it to simply be a museum full of rocket pieces or engine parts that you could look at but not touch, but I am happy to share how wrong I was. The first exhibit we walked into was a 
conservatory with carnivorous plants! Behind it was an exhibit based on perception, which included drawing opportunities, View Master toys, and a chance to use a VR headset.
Most of the downstairs space was devoted to the environment awareness and natural sciences. A huge machine demonstrated how waves work and what their different frequencies can look like. There was a large display on hurricanes with an emphasis on Hurricane Katrina that got me teary-eyed, and machines that let kids create their own watersheds and basins to see how the rain runoff and flooding works. My oldest son especially loved the hurricane wind device where he could build his own structures and then watch as hurricane-force winds blew them apart.
Downstairs also included a small, gated play area for tiny tots, with views of floor-to-ceiling rockets leading to the second floor. Upstairs was primarily dedicated to space exploration (and more along the lines of what I had expected for the entire museum). We got to see plenty of engines, astronaut gear, and other pieces of equipment and rockets– some of which had actually been to space! But there were still more hands-on exhibits, showing how orbits work and the full spectrum of light.
Outside, we visited the pollinator gardens, admired the infinity-shaped nature boardwalk (although it was too hot for us to do the long stroll that day), and stared in awe at the absolutely massive piece of the Saturn V rocket booster from Apollo 17, which is so huge, it’s visible from the interstate as you drive by. The scale is absolutely mind-blowing!
If we had had more time, we could have watched a movie in the center’s 3D theatre, eaten at the indoor cafe, or stopped by the Mississippi Welcome Center just next door to play on their playground, but we’ll have to save those adventures for another day.
If your kid loves science, rockets, space, or any kind of hands-on learning, this is a must-do that’s only an easy hour away from New Orleans! I hope you enjoy your visit as much as we enjoyed ours!
