Reviewed by: Sharron Swain
6 amazing things you never knew about McWane Science Center, including a YouTube-loving lizard
Reading time: 5 minutes
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Think you know everything about McWane Science Center? We’re putting your knowledge to the test.
Some of the Bham Now team recently did some digging to find out a few lesser-known facts about this beloved spot in Birmingham. What we learned blew us away.
Read on for six of our favorite discoveries.
1. The animal team is located on a secret floor.
During our visit to McWane, we had to spend some time with the Animal Team. But, finding them turned out to be trickier than expected.
This is because they—and their many animals—hang out on a secret floor dubbed “level one and a half.”
Getting there requires a McWane employee and a special elevator code.
While on this hidden floor, we discovered all sorts of land animals, including turtles, spiders and hissing cockroaches.
2. The oldest snake is 31 years old.
Bertrella is a Ball Python who has lived at McWane since it opened in 1998.
Never met a real snake before? No worries.
We found out Bertrella is totally chill and loves people.
She also enjoys draping herself scarf-style around your neck for some cuddle time.
3. One of the bearded dragons loves to watch YouTube.
Your cat’s not the only animal that enjoys watching YouTube—one of McWane’s Bearded Dragons does too.
This funny fella’s name is Spyro and he’s three years old.
His favorite thing to watch on YouTube is the kids’ show Hey Bear Sensory, which features dancing fruits that move and bounce across the screen.
4. Exhibits are built at military-grade level.
Yes, you read that right. But it makes perfect sense after speaking with McWane’s Exhibits Team.
McWane draws in nearly 400,000 people every year, so each exhibit is built to be safe and indestructible.
Bed of Nails is one of McWane’s oldest exhibits, undergoing decades of human interaction.
You may know the basics of how it works, but we learned something new and unexpected about this fan favorite.
Vice President of Exhibits Erik Lizee told us the exhibit’s original motor wasn’t strong enough to withstand countless interactions, so it was in constant need of repairs.
McWane’s Exhibits Team got creative and equipped it with something stronger and more durable—a scissor car jack.
“The jack can lift a car so it can lift a couple tons of weight.
It’s not indestructible, but we don’t have to rebuild the exhibit as often.”
Erik Lizee, Vice President of Exhibits, McWane Science Center
5. The World of Water Team is SCUBA-certified.
Have you been to McWane’s World of Water exhibit?
It’s located on the lower level and is filled with all sorts of fascinating creatures like fish, turtles, sharks, sting rays and even a Green Moray Eel named Moe.
Something you may not know is that all of the World of Water Aquarists are SCUBA-certified.
Why? So they can dive into the aquarium tanks to clean and feed the animals.
Here are some more interesting facts about World of Water:
- There are 340 animals spanning 67 species.
- There are currently 3 full-time Aquarists taking care of all the aquatic animals.
- They make their own salt water—2,000 gallons each week.
6. The Vortex coin collector funds McWane in vital ways.
One of my favorite things to do at McWane is to drop a coin into the big circular machine near the ticket counter and watch it spin round and round before disappearing.
Named The Vortex, the giant coin bank has been part of the McWane experience since about 2006. It’s emptied every five to six weeks with about $400 to $600 collected each time.
Not only does this entertaining coin collector have a fun name—it also helps fund McWane in many important ways.
“The money collected from The Vortex goes into our operating budget where it pays for things like our utility bill which is about $2,100 per day. Or toward the almost $25,000 we spend on paper towels, toilet paper and hand sanitizer each year.
Monday raised from The Vortex also means we can spend more on fun things like new exhibits or scholarships for school group attendance.”
Erik Lizee, Vice President of Exhibits, McWane Science Center
Check out our more unique things happening at McWane
- Birmingham City Council approves new hip hop exhibit at McWane
- 65-million-year-old fossil shark found in Alabama by McWane Science Center scientist
Don’t miss a minute of excitement at McWane Science Center—visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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