The Tech to end the quaking, shaking
Thousands of schoolchildren — and nearly that many grownups — have safely experienced the sensation of an earthquake at the Tech Interactive for the past 21 years.
But if you want to shake, rattle and roll, you’d better hurry: The downtown San Jose learning center is retiring the Earthquake Platform at the end of the year.
The platform, one of the originals that opened with the Tech in 1998, simulates the shaking during historical earthquakes. Visitors can use foam blocks to build structures and see how they would fare during a temblor.
But old age has taken its toll, and the exhibit has required more and more maintenance over two decades.
“Right now, when it breaks down, we either need to look for old parts on eBay or go through expensive custom manufacturing parts,” said Gretchen Walker, the Tech’s vice president for learning.
The platform is in the lower-level Exploration Gallery — the only Tech gallery that has not been renovated in the past 10 years.
“In fall 2020, we will be opening a brand-new exhibition on technology and sustainability that we are really excited about,” said Walker, who added that the Tech hopes to install a new earthquake platform in the near future.
Visitors have until Dec. 31 to take a last ride on the old one and experience one of its seven featured quakes.
The lineup includes a trio of memorable quakes for Californians — the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the 6.0 quake
that shook Napa in 2014 — as well as the powerful 8.3 quake that struck Hokkaido, Japan, on Sept. 25, 2003, and the 6.8 quake in Seattle in 2001, which is the longest shake in the exhibit at 45 seconds.
The 1906 San Francisco quake used to be included but rotated off for more recent shakers.
WINCHESTER LEGO HOUSE? >> Recreating the Winchester Mystery House in LEGO bricks is a feat that even Sarah Winchester might have been afraid of.
But it could happen if the sprawling San Jose mansion gets enough votes to be part of a display at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center opening in Milpitas next year.
The other Bay Area landmarks joining the Winchester house on the Facebook poll, which started Tuesday, are the Golden Gate Bridge, Levi’s Stadium, SAP Center, Milpitas City Hall, San Jose City Hall and Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
Voters can also write in their own selection, and anyone who picks the orange dome of Mark’s Hot Dogs will have a special place in my heart.
You can vote at facebook.com/legolanddiscoverycenterbayarea through Nov. 19, and the winning locations will be announced Nov. 21.
They’ll be part of a “miniland” at the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area, a 31,000-square foot attraction, that is scheduled to open in spring 2020 at the Great Mall.
STANFORD THEATRE >> Many movie scholars consider 1939 to be Hollywood’s best year ever, and even movie buffs who disagree have to concede it’s a strong contender.
And starting this week, the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto will be hosting a two-month 80th birthday party for nearly 50 movies from the golden age of movies.
Amazingly, with a couple of notable exceptions, every movie being shown played at the Stanford in 1939.
The festival kicked off
Tuesday with a doublefeature of the W.C. Fields’ comedy “You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man” and the drama “The Great Man Votes,” starring John Barrymore. Both films are showing today as well.
Other movies in the lineup are “Dark Victory” with Bette Davis (Nov. 16-17), “Wuthering Heights” (Nov. 21-22) and “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (Nov. 28-29).
The only movies during the festival that didn’t play at the Stanford in 1939 are “The Shop Around the Corner,” a 1940 film that is screening in a traditional holiday week doublefeature with “The Wizard of Oz” on Dec. 21-22. The festival’s closing feature will be “Gone With the Wind,” which played at the theater in 1940, the year after it was released.
Of course, the festival will pause for the annual Christmas Eve screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which was released in 1946. (Advance tickets for the 4 and 9 p.m. shows go on sale Dec. 7). Check out the full schedule at stanfordtheatre. org.