The Da Vinci Experience April 20, 2007

The Da Vinci Experience

Aerospace Museum
of California
McClellan Park in Sacramento
April 20, 2007 - August 19, 2007

The Exhibit

If one were to compile a list of the greatest minds of all time, there's no doubt that Leonardo da Vinci is near the top of that list. A leader in science, painting, sculpture, mathematics, music and more, Leonardo was the archetypical Renaissance man.

When he wasn't painting masterpieces such as "the Mona Lisa" or "The Last Supper," Leonardo was busy conceptualizing inventions no one had ever dreamed of before. Fascinated by the prospect of flight and other scientific feats, Leonardo's notebooks contained over 13,000 pages of notes and drawings. So far ahead of his time was Leonardo that the technology of the day did not allow for the construction of many of his blueprints.

Many centuries later, a group known as The Artisans of Florence took Da Vinci's ideas and actually built working replicas of his conceptualizations. Now, for the first time ever, these models have made their way to California. The models that will be on hand include hang gliders, a bicycle, a double-hull boat, an air-screw (precursor to the helicopter), a fly wheel, an early tank, a robot, a chamber of mirrors, and a movable bridge among others.

Constructed out of materials available during Leonardo's time, many of the exhibits are interactive so that both children and adults can understand precisely how many of the groundbreaking machines accomplish their work. Specially trained docents will be on hand to answer questions about Da Vinci and the machines he conceived. In addition, there is a theater showing a short film about Leonardo da Vinci; a gallery housing re-creations of his paintings, including "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper;" plus interactive computer kiosks, kids' activities and a gift shop.

Being one of only a small handful of stops in the western U.S. and the only in Northern California, this may well be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take part in this momentous exhibit.

General Information
The Da Vinci Experience
Aerospace Museum of California
McClellan Park
3200 Freedom Park Drive
Sacramento, CA 95652

April 20, 2007 - August 19, 2007
Hours of Operation: 10 am - 5 pm
Reservations available on the 1/2 hour until 4:00pm

Official Website: http://www.discovergold.org/davinci/