WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Exploration Place opened its new permanent health exhibit, Health Inside Out, to the public on Wednesday, April 20.
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County)
The new exhibit will encourage health education and health care workforce development.
The new “state-of-the-art” permanent exhibit has been three years in the making. It is 3,500-square-ft and costs $1.5 million.
Health Inside Out has 16 hands-on interactive experience that includes the following:
- Whack-a-Virus — a pandemic-inspired version of Whack-a-Mole
- Emotional Roller Coaster — a motion-based simulator exploring mental health themes
- Health Heroes — educational play inside a real EMS helicopter (donated by Bell)
- Skeleton Mirror — an augmented reality look at your own skeleton
- What’s My Job? — a wheel of fortune encouraging health care career exploration
- Operation — a life-size version of the classic children’s game
- Nutrition Skee-ball — where points are scored for healthy eating
- That’s Too Loud — an interactive scream booth that teaches hearing protection
- Giant Eye — where guests control the movement of a 6-foot diameter eyeball
- Everybody Move — an augmented reality game encouraging exercise and heart health
According to America’s Health Rankings, Kansas has experienced the largest decline in national health rankings of any state in the past 30 years. From the eighth healthiest state in 1991, Kansas was ranked just 29th in 2021.
Exploration Place states Health Inside Out will aim to reverse the trend by promoting healthy behaviors and helping prepare the health care workforce of tomorrow.
“We want to inspire a fascination with the human body in people of all ages,” said Adam Smith, president and CEO of Exploration Place. “And what better way to do it than through the kind of fun, interactive, science-based exhibits that are the signature of Exploration Place?”
The presenting sponsor of Health Inside Out is the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.
“Helping our youth and their families learn how their bodies work and maintain a healthy lifestyle is very important to our educational mission at KU School of Medicine-Wichita,” said Garold Minns, M.D., dean, KU School of Medicine-Wichita. “In the process, we hope some youngsters will become interested in various health care careers.”
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County) 
Opening of Health Inside Out at the Exploration Place (Courtesy: Sedgwick County)
The exhibit was also made possible with the support of more than 50 other donors.
Exploration Place is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thursdays, when it is open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
For more information, visit Exploration Place’s website.
