Boston’s Amazing Indoor Lightning Experience

Hopefully this is the closest you'll ever be to real lightning. But, it's an amazing experience tha will electrify your entire family. It happens in the Theater of Electricity at the incredible Boston Museum of Science.

Along with its many other wonders, the museum is the home of the world's largest Van de Graaff Generator. The massive indoor machine creates real bolts of lightning that shoot through the theater.

To keep it interesting, the museum shows the audience many different things that these bolts of lightning can do. The demonstration involves conductors, static electricity, magnetism and of course the huge generator that was built back in the 1930's at MIT. Part of the presentation focuses on lightning storm safety as well. And to keep theater-goers safe, there is a large metal screen between spectators and the bolts of lightning.

The Theater of Electricity inside the Museum of Science offers daily shows. It may be a great family activity during this school vacation week.

The Boston Museum of Science is located at 1 Science Drive in Boston.