It’s been voted favorite museum in the Garden State by New Jersey Family readers three years in a row. Your kids have likely made their way through the iconic Touch Tunnel and Infinity Climber countless times before taking in a show at the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, the largest in the western hemisphere. Now there’s an awesome new reason to head to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City with the kids. Extreme LSC is Friday night party just for kids that combines everything your family loves about the Liberty Science Center with the things your kids are obsessed with: laser tag, slime, a ball pit, countless selfie and photo booth ops and a DJ and dance floor.
Extreme LSC takes over the museum from 6-10 pm every fourth Friday of the month. We took the kids on opening night and there was no shortage of activities to keep them entertained—and totally exhausted—by closing time. We began our night at the ball pit, which was set up below the Infinity Climber and next to a giant dance floor and the LSC café. The kids bounced around in the pit amid colorful flashing lights. The experience was even more fun knowing the LSC staff threw in a bunch of balls that look like planets amid all the white ones which made for an exciting quest for the kids. Our pro tip: If your kid wears glasses, remove them if possible before entering the pit. One child lost his on opening night and the ball pit was closed until the LSC team found them.
Laser tag is one of the most popular activities at Extreme LSC. Like the ball pit, the kids will have to wait in line to enter the laser tag inflatable tent. Since the attraction is in high demand, make sure your kids get a spot in line at least 30 minutes before the museum closes at 10 pm. You should also plan ahead for their slime lab experience. We reserved a time for the kids to DIY their own slime in the lab as soon as we arrived, shortly after 6 pm. This allowed us to skip the line and take in other exhibits until our appointment time. Once we entered the lab, the kids were taken to a station where they were given step by step-by-step instructions to make their slime. The experience takes about 10 minutes and the kids each took home their own container of LSC-made slime.
If your kids love a good photo op, there are many to be had at Extreme LSC. In addition to the step and repeat banners, there’s also a fun photo station equipped with cool props. There’s also a DJ playing music for all four hours (yes, our kids were actually dancing to the Electric Slide!) on the dance floor which is right outside the café, where you can buy dinner for the family and beer or wine for yourself.
One of our favorite parts of the night is the ability to freely explore the museum and its epic exhibits. With the exception of shows at the planetarium and new premium exhibits like Angry Birds Universe! (an extra fee applies for both), most of the museum’s exhibits are open. Throughout the night, we did some stargazing with the help of LSC’s high-powered telescopes. In addition to what you’ll learn from space experts, the NYC views from Jersey City can’t be beat.
We also explored exhibits like the colorful Microbes Rule!; Our Hudson Home, which focuses on the Hudson River ecosystem, and the animal-filled Eat and Be Eaten. Then, we wandered through the Touch Tunnel and Infinity Climber multiple times and ended the night with a walk along the famed Skyscraper attraction, which gives visitors wearing a safety harness a chance walk along a narrow steel beam 18 feet above the floor.
Extreme LSC happens every fourth Friday from 6 pm – 10 pm at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. Tickets are $15 for kids and $20 for adults and are selling out fast for the next few Fridays. Go to the Extreme LSC site for more details.
