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Home / Exhibits / Permanent Exhibits
Exhibition Overview
Each of the 12 sections of the renovated Wiess Energy Hall is full of all-new, immersive excursions into the world of energy.
The Energy Explorations Theater presents an animated musical overview of energy, inspired by the films of Pixar and the melodies of “Schoolhouse Rock,” as an introduction to the hall, or as a feature highlight for visiting students with limited time.
Formation takes visitors on a high-speed journey through the universe, from the Big Bang to the formation of hydrocarbons, in a three-minute high-resolution film at the entrance to the exhibit.
Geology features the surprisingly dynamic underground layers of rock that hold reservoirs of oil and gas. Control the motion of the continents over millions of years on a giant screen and watch a seemingly inert 10-foot rock wall come to life to display the faults and formations present in the rock.
Geography highlights the areas where energy is located around the world and how it appears when it is found. Fly around the world exploring the top 800 oil and gas fields in the Energy Information Command Center, which utilizes satellite data to present this 10-foot by six-foot interactive view of the earth.
Exploration features the latest in energy discovery techniques, from magnetometers to gravimeters and seismic vibrator trucks. Experience the real-life drama of finding oil and gas in the field with two geologists testing for oil in a remote region of the world, presented in holographic illusion.
In Drilling, test your knowledge and luck as a wildcatter! Create a designer well and see if you have what it takes to strike it rich. Explore the extreme methods of reaching oil, from arctic drilling to drilling in the jungle. Take a 7,285-foot wild ride to the bottom of a modern well in the all-new Geovator, see what happens after the well is drilled – and surf the oil gusher back to the top.
Geovator The completely renovated Geovator returns to the Wiess Energy Hall, taking visitors on a simulated trip to the bottom of a 7,285-foot deep oil well, brought to life with large plasma screen "view ports," more realistic computer animation, updated graphics, and a new soundtrack featuring "Heather," the savvy onboard computer. Travel down the well bore to experience the sights ands sounds of the oil industry on the ultimate "insider's" tour!
Reservoir and Production immerses visitors in a sub-sea oil production facility. Watch submersible remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) explore a mind-boggling network of pipelines and some of the most bizarre creatures of the depths. Explore the various methods of oil and gas production, from artificial lift, in which mechanical devices—such as gas lift, or the nodding donkey seen in many Texas fields—are used, to improved recovery techniques like fire flooding, which involves igniting the oil to make it flow.
Processes and Products takes visitors through everything that happens in an oil refinery, through full-color, 3-D animation. Watch the swirling industrial tornado used by a vortex separator remove sediment from newly pumped oil and discover how centrifugal force is utilized. Examine the inner workings of a modern refinery, highlighted with bright, neon pipes.
The Energy Excursions Theater provides a 160-degree wrap-around movie experience. Take off from the roof of the Museum and travel across the country and under the oceans to explore the major sources of energy in the United States. Explore offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico, coal mining in Wyoming, wind and solar power production in California and water power from the Hoover Dam in Nevada.
Transportation and Distribution investigates pipeline systems, power plants and the other energy sources and delivery systems around the world. See how a power turbine engine operates, and be amazed at the complicated web of pipelines that keep the world supplied with energy, at the touch of a button on the Energy Matrix. Learn about the latest in transportation and distribution technology, liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Alternative Energy Sources explores the myriad other ways energy is generated, through new interactive elements specially designed to engage the imagination. Interactives include a five-foot scale model of a wind turbine; a Tokamak fusion reactor, illustrated with glowing plasma gas; and a working model of a fuel cell. New cutting-edge alternative energy sources, such as fuel cells, ocean tidal power, and biomass are also explored.
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