When I was a kid, I used to love going to the Boston Museum of science. One of my mother's friends was a science educator who had worked all around the world. She had been to many different museums, but she finally settled at the Museum of science in Boston. This was a good opportunity for us. We got to see all the events � even the ones where tickets were hard to come by. Occasionally, we even got to go in for a private behind scenes look. It might not be at the top of most people's connections lists, but even so, knowing someone who works at a science Museum is a real advantage.

My favorite Boston Museum of science exhibits, however, where the kinds of things that they have at almost every science Museum. I loved looking at IMAX movies when I was a kid. They really took me away in a way that nothing else could. I loved the feeling of zooming over waterfalls and through canyons or rocketing up in a spaceship. I also really liked going to the Boston planetarium. The announcer there was pretty funny. A lot of science museums have pretty corny people manning the planetarium, but the Boston Museum of science guy was kind of different. He always tell humorous jokes and get us laughing.

I remember being impressed with him when I finally met the Boston Museum of Sciences Planetarium curator. He seemed to know more about the solar system than anyone else. I was able to meet him on a couple of occasions, and when I did, it was cool to be able to pick his brains. I would always ask him about the possibility of life on another planets. I'm sure he got asked that all the time, but he had patience for all of my questions. He was the first person to steer me in the direction of a career in science � The career path which I have followed all my life.

Of course before you visit the Boston Museum of science, you should check the traveling exhibits. They have plenty of interesting permanent displays there, but you also never know when they will have something temporary for you to check out. They might have a show on local ecology or special program about the physics of baseball in a year that the Sox are doing very well. It's neat to see a science museum add local color to the standard exhibits.