Visitors flood new location

For WonderLab's Executive Director Catherine Olmer, the toughest question she could answer would be what is her favorite exhibit is. Though she may eventually decide on the bee colony, the question leaves her flustered.\n"That's like asking a mother to pick her favorite child," Olmer said. "They all have good days and bad days."\nThose same exhibits were in the spotlight Sunday as the WonderLab celebrated its one year anniversary of its Fourth Street location, which opened March 29, 2003. Refreshments were on hand alongside eager children and satisfied volunteers.\n"It's been an incredible year," Olmer said, remembering her nervousness last March when it was still in question whether anyone would even show up to the museum's new location. \nBut those worries didn't last long, and since then, attendance has exceeded projections -- so much so that an estimated 2,300 people visited during spring break week alone. \n"We're just thrilled by the way the community has responded," said Olmer\nKnowing exactly how many people visited in the past year actually turned out to be a pretty valuable statistic: one of the highlights of the event was a contest at the door asking visitors to guess the past year's total attendance, complete with a prize basket worth more than $100 waiting for the winner. Guesses ranged from 1,000 to more than 200,000,000, but the winning guess of 65,000 went to Brownsburg, Ind., native Mark Reif-Henrie.\nThough 67,000 people visited the museum, if the statistic includes summer science camps and outreach services, that number grows to 72,000 people. Also, consider the 11,000 children who took field trips to the WonderLab in the past year, 1,700 families have already become members and, of those original 67,000, about one-third came from outside Monroe County. The WonderLab also brought in more downtown visitors than any other Bloomington venue seems understandable. In addition, six award victories, including the current title of "City's Best Museum" by AOL Cityguide, have capped off what Olmer calls a "truly worthwhile year."\nMarketing Director Louise Schlesinger was also on hand at the anniversary celebration and shared much of Olmer's enthusiasm. While impressed by the numbers, too, Schlesinger is careful to point out that it's not just kids coming to WonderLab.\n"We're not a children's museum. We're a science museum," Schlesinger said, pointing out the current brain teaser exhibit as one that baffles people of all ages.\nSophomore Staci Farr knows this all too well. A physics student, Farr has volunteered twice at WonderLab, once at the brain teaser exhibit and Sunday for the anniversary. While earning extra credit for her presence, Farr insists it can hardly be considered work. \n"It's really fun," she said, "and I love working with the kids."\nOlmer said volunteers like Farr have been responsible for WonderLab's success ever since its inception in 1995, and her appreciation is obvious. In 2003 alone, 843 volunteers, more than a quarter of them IU students, combined for more than 12,000 donated hours. \nWonderLab is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information about WonderLab, call 337-1337 or visit its Web site at www.wonderlab.org. \n-- Contact staff writer Russell Puntenney at rpuntenn@indiana.edu.