Both adults and children can explore science and the arts in a colorful, open atmosphere while letting their imaginations run wild. Make sure to see the Camera Obscura and optics room, where you can gather around a table lit up with moving images of Casco Bay and downtown Portland. The show is done using Renaissance technology involving a large mirror and a 12-inch lens. Check out the gifts in the Flights of Imagination museum gift shop or enjoy lunch in a cafe that welcomes children. Admission is free on Friday evenings from 5 to 8.
Parking is in the garage a block and a half past the museum.
Keep your museum ticket stubs for 2 hours of free parking. Everything from lofting the design lines to launching day is accurately reconstructed. Shipyard tours are available only from April 15 through October. Also, throughout the summer, visiting ships tie up at the museum docks along the Kennebec River. But if you happen to come at an off time, there's still plenty to see and do.