Here’s one big reason to bring your kids to The Mind Museum: Leonardo Da Vinci.

 

“Da Vinci—The Genius,” Grande Exhibitions Australia’s traveling exhibit that has stopped in over 50 cities across five continents in the past seven years, is now in Manila.

 

Divided into 13 theme areas—from Anatomy and Flight to Military Engineering and Renaissance Art—the exhibit displays over 200 pieces of the Renaissance man’s works.

 

Get to know the man some people consider the greatest genius of all time through models of his work faithfully recreated by Italian artisans; replicas of his drawings and paintings; interactive displays; and film screenings.

 

The exhibit has a lot to offer people of all ages. If you’re thinking of bringing your kids to the exhibit, here are things you should know:

 

Buy tickets online

 

You can buy your tickets online. Tickets to the Da Vinci exhibit are P250 for adults and P200 for children and students (including college kids). Tickets to The Mind Museum are P600 for adults, P450 for kids and students of private schools (including college), and P150 for students of public schools (including college).

 

Teachers can also get in for P150.

 

These tickets allow access to the museum for three hours. Time slots available are 9 a.m.-12 noon; 12 noon-3 p.m; and 3-6 p.m. An additional 6-9 p.m. time slot is available on Saturdays. All-day passes are also available for P750 each.

 

The Mind Museum also offers packages if you wish to view the Da Vinci exhibit and get three hours to explore the rest of the museum (P800 for adults, P600 for children and private school students, P300 for public school students and P300 for teachers).

 

If you wish to view the Da Vinci exhibit and get an all-day pass, the rate is P950. Teachers and students are required to bring their school IDs to be presented at the gate. If grandma and grandpa want to come, too, senior citizen rebates will be given at the gate. Children standing two feet and below can enter free of charge.

 

Tickets are available at the gate but the museum recommends that you purchase your tickets online—a wise move since sometime slots sell out super fast. (Log on to https://tickets.

themindmuseum.org.)

 

Ask questions

 

Maximize your time by exploring the museum first. Pecier C. Decierdo, one of the museum’s Mind Movers, says that if you plan to enjoy both the museum and the Da Vinci exhibit, start with the museum so you can enjoy Da Vinci’s works at a leisurely pace. “You can spend as much time as you want at the Da Vinci exhibit,” says Pecier.

 

Find the Mind Movers and ask questions. In its desire to encourage people to explore the museum at their own pace and linger on the features they find fascinating, The Mind Museum does not offer guided tours. What it has instead are Mind Movers who roam the area, ready to offer information and answer questions from visitors.

 

You can spot the Mind Movers easily because they wear lab coats. Engage them in conversation because they can offer interesting stories behind what’s on display.

 

If you spot Pecier anywhere, ask him about the most recently authenticated Da Vinci painting, “Salvator Mundi.”

 

Look, touch, play

 

Get ready to read. There are a lot of notes and signs in the exhibition hall explaining everything that’s on display. For younger kids, it might be too much effort so parents should be prepared to read and explain what the signs say. For intermediate readers, this can be great practice.

 

Don’t just look, you can touch and play. One of the wonderful things about the Da Vinci exhibit is the interactivity.

 

There are easy-to-spot signs telling you which displays can be touched and played with, and those that cannot. We saw one dad talking to his son, “When you see that symbol, you are allowed to touch it.”

 

Teach your kids what the signs mean and let them have fun winding up cranks and making balls fly.

 

Something for everyone

 

Bond by building a bridge. In the exhibit, you will find a replica of Da Vinci’s Self-Supporting Arch Bridge, which he devised for quick military use. What’s even cooler is they have a smaller version that exhibit guests can build. We had fun watching a family of four trying to put the bridge together, with a determined dad leading the way.

 

“The Man Who Wanted to Know Everything,” a film about Da Vinci, is screened at the mini theater every day at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

 

There’s something for everyone. Da Vinci was a man of many passions. He was a scientist, an inventor, an architect, an engineer, a mathematician, a musician, a writer and an artist.

 

His works have led to great inventions and innovations that continue to be useful hundreds of years after his death, including parachutes, cars, airplanes and submarines.

 

And because of the rich legacy he left behind, kids of different interests will find something intriguing at the exhibit. History lovers will enjoy the Life & Times wall which shows Da Vinci’s role during the Renaissance period.

 

If your kids love robots, show them Da Vinci’s Humanoid Automaton, which some consider to be the world’s first robot.

 

If they’re fond of aircraft, show them the Vita Aera, which is the ancestor of today’s helicopter.

 

Aspiring scientists will find Da Vinci’s numerous sketches and inventions fascinating.

 

Bring your budding artists to the Renaissance Art area and show them Da Vinci’s masterpieces including the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.”

 

Even your Instagram-obsessed teen will find something to like at the exhibit. Da Vinci’s Mirror Room is a great spot for the most incurable selfie.

 

Renaissance Fairs will be held outside the museum doors this month and November. The fairs offer great family fun—from people in costumes, craft workshops and science shows to demos and even a bit of shopping.

 

You can also bring a piece of Da Vinci home. There are a number of souvenirs available for purchase: tote bags (P150), postcard sets (P250), official programs (P550), “Da Vinci—The Genius” DVDs (P250) and even toy replica kits of some of Da Vinci’s inventions including the Mechanical Drum, Multi-Barreled Cannon, Swing Bridge and Aerial Screw that you can build at home (P799.75 each).

 

The “Da Vinci—The Genius” exhibit will run until November. The Mind Museum is at JY Campos Park, 3rd Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Visit www.the

mindmuseum.org; tel. 909-MIND (6463). The museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.