Nature lovers, would-be spies explore passions
Farther on, I was ushered into a mammoth “4D” theatre. It felt even larger when I noticed that there were only two other thrillseekers in the 185-seat cinema. Despite its billing as a “thrill-ride,” I found the 10-minute training film overhyped and underwhelming. Save for a special weather event at the close of the movie, which I won’t give away, the booming audios and jostling seats were unremarkable. After the film, we were escorted to the second level and invited to test our skills against virtual pros through drills that include blocking, passing and jumping challenges. If you’re like me and quickly discover you can’t throw a spiral to save your life, have no fear: You’ll still wind up at the Super Bowl. The last level is the champions’ floor, where you can ogle sparkly Super Bowl rings, experience a virtual Gatorade dunk (sans mess) with the help of visual effects and pose with a Lombardi Trophy replica.
On the way out, I was tempted to treat myself to a stadium snack, such as the Arizona Cardinals’ Pump Fake, a deep-fried Cap’n Crunch-coated burger topped with bacon bits, banana chips and caramel sauce. (The exhibit rotates different signature dishes from the 32 stadiums daily.) In the end, I decided to skip it. I didn’t want to ruin my new training camp body.
While fair-weather fans might do better saving their dollars for an in-person game, sports enthusiasts will enjoy this overpriced football fantasyland. It’s a lot like the country ’s most popular sports league: loud, stimulating, engaging and, at times, a bit full of itself.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENCOUNTER: OCEAN ODYSSEY 226 W. 44th St. Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. SundayThursday and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. US$39.50, seniors and veterans US$36.50, children ages three to 12 US$32.50, younger free. Purchase tickets online for a $5 discount. natgeoencounter.com
You can hang up your shell bikini for this underwater voyage. The virtual aquatic adventure makes a splash — but not a literal one — by bringing the sights, sounds and scenes of the ocean to life with cutting-edge technology, including 3D animation, authentic soundscapes and video mapping.
I embraced my inner mermaid and took the plunge. A fluorescent blue escalator delivered me from the noisy streets of midtown to the hushed sands of the South Pacific, where I started my virtual journey, inching my way toward the California coast through 10 different undersea environments.
Visitors, especially young ones, will enjoy the site’s interactive elements, including the friendly, fluorescent sting rays that dart beneath your feet and the playful sea lions that respond to hand gestures. Floor-to-ceiling screens, touch-sensitive floors and 3D imagery elevate the experience. Later rooms spotlight the more mysterious and rarely witnessed deepsea fauna, including a mouthy duel between two Humboldt squids (which each have 24,000 razorsharp teeth). Giggles erupted as our group bumped its way through the “kelp forest” mirror maze.
Housed in the former New York Times press room, the mission of this expansive and educational 5,575-square-metre exhibition is driven home in its finale. There, guests can participate in hands-on activities that encourage positive environmental practices. Visitors can also pledge to take different actions, large and small, to help preserve and protect the Earth and its inhabitants. I decided to do my part by avoiding plastic straws and using only environmentally friendly sunscreen. On my swim through the gift shop, I hoped to follow through on my promise with a purchase. Sadly, it didn’t carry sunscreen, although it did have a mountain of US$18.99 plush sea creatures. Maybe, by my next visit to the ocean depths, it will.
SPYSCAPE 928 Eighth Ave. Open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. US$39, children ages three to 12 US$32, younger free. Tickets are based on timed entry and can be purchased online for a discount. spyscape.com
Have you ever wondered whether you missed your calling as a spy? Maybe you grew up on the James Bond series or Harriet the Spy.
Whatever international intrigue or clandestine forces bring you to Spyscape, it’s highly unlikely that you will leave this state-of-the-art interactive museum disappointed. The 5,575-square-metre labyrinth was thoughtfully designed by David Adjaye, the architect of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and is divided into seven galleries: deception, encryption, surveillance, hacking, intelligence, cyberwarfare and special ops.
Along the way, visitors scan their ID bracelets at silver kiosks dotted throughout the three-level pavilion. The kiosks assess your personality traits, risk tolerance and IQ through a series of interactive games, tests and questionnaires to determine your spy profile. (There are 10 possibilities, including cryptologist and hacker, intelligence analyst and spycatcher.) Physical challenges, which include monitoring CCTV footage and taking a lie-detector test, also help determine the role that best suits your skills. I was secretly hoping to be labelled a spymaster so I could join the ranks of my favourite popculture sleuths: Sydney Bristow, Carrie Mathison and Kim Possible.
A running timeline highlights real-life espionage trailblazers, starting with Second World War codebreakers such as Alan Turing and ending with “white-hat hackers” who find and fix computer flaws or vulnerabilities. I hit my stride during the agility-testing special ops challenge, which involves ducking, darting and diving under a web of neon-green laser beams. The test left me out of breath, but wanting more. The attendant, who couldn’t help but laugh at my determination to excel, let me attempt it three times.
In the last chamber, I scanned my wristband one final time, and a robot revealed my dossier. Based on the assessments and my key spy qualities — determination, empathy and having a “team player” mentality — I was predestined to be an intelligence operative. It’s not as sexy sounding as “spymaster,” but I’m happy to be a spy nonetheless.