Please enjoy this social story to help you and your family prepare for your visit to the MESS Hall. If you have any questions, please call at 877-937-6377 or email us at info@pensacolamesshall.org.
We are going to the Pensacola MESS Hall. It is a place to experiment with math, engineering, science and stuff.
We checked when it is open and came on our own schedule. We can park in front of the building. There is a parking lot as well as parking on the street. We can use a ramp at the front for strollers, but the fully accessible parking spot is in the rear.
We enter through a glass door. We pay admission at the front desk. I must have an adult stay with me. The staff wear bright shirts with the logo on the front. Now we get to explore the hands-on exhibits.
The exhibits have materials for us to use. We read the signs before we begin experimenting. If there are people at the exhibit, we can choose another one. We can stay at an exhibit as long as we’d like.
Sometimes, there are kids there for a birthday party or a camp. We will stay out of those spaces. There are plenty of things to do in other spaces of the MESS Hall.
I show my family my favorite exhibit from a field trip. When I visit with my family, I can spend as much time or as little time at an exhibit as I want. There are things in the museum I didn’t experience on the field trip.
We pick up materials we are using when they fall on the floor. This happens a lot at the wind tubes, kevas, and marble run exhibits.
If I need a quiet place, I can sit at the tables outside the museum.
The quieter times at the museum are weekday afternoons during the school year.
There are two rooms to explore. When I need to use the restroom, I go to the back of each room. One has a changing table in it for those who need it.
When I am thirsty, there is a water fountain at the back of the museum.
We order mess kits from a menu. Each kit has all we need to complete an experiment. When we are done, we keep what we made and return the equipment to the staff. We can check out as many mess kits as we would like.
We try to solve the puzzles at the puzzle table. These are challenging. If we need help, we can ask a staff member. They might be able to give us a hint, but they won’t tell us the answer. There are puzzles we may not be able to solve, and that is ok. The learning happens while I am trying.
There is a space for special presentations. Curiosity Days are every month during the school year. During the summer, we can see a guest presenter each week. The website and social media have the schedule of special presentations and events.
The gift shop has snacks if I am hungry. There are also toys, puzzles, and games to purchase. If I have permission from an adult, I can buy something to take home.
I am so glad I got to visit the MESS Hall. I hope to come back again soon. I know that each visit can be different, and sometimes my favorite things won’t be there. But there will always be something new to try.
This social story is made possible through a grant from Sunday’s Child, a non-profit working toward the acceptance and inclusion of all, including LGBTQ+ citizens.
The Pensacola MESS Hall does not discriminate in any manner contrary to law or justice on the basis of race, color, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion (creed), disability, veteran’s status, marital status, or national origin (ancestry) in its educational programs or activities, including employment and admissions.