Goose Bumps Exhibit at Fernbank

Fear Not – Exhibit is a Fun Way to Learn About a Scary Topic

Have you ever wondered why your skin breaks out in goose bumps or why your heart races when you’re scared? Find out all you have ever wanted to know about your body’s response to fear at Fernbank’s new Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear exhibit running until Jan. 4.
My two children, Adam, 8, and Sarah, 6, were kept busy for well over an hour exploring all there was to see. When we entered the exhibit, huge boards explained some common fears people have such as the fear of clowns, coulrophobia, and fear of flying, aviophobia.
My favorite part was the interactive table demonstrating step by step how your body reacts to fear and why. The area that got the most attention from visitors, however, was the Challenge Course. The course allows people to face some common fears such as the fear of animals, fear of electric shock, fear of loud noises and fear of falling.
My daughter was reluctant to place her hand into the covered black box in the fear of animals section but was proud of herself when she did it! My son’s favorite challenge was in the fear of falling section. He was strapped to a flat board and then lowered backwards slowly and dropped suddenly and safely down to the floor. His reaction was caught on a video camera and we could watch his eyes grow wide and his mouth open in the classic expression of fear. He also enjoyed anticipating a (painless) electric shock in the fear of electric shock section.
The Goose Bumps exhibit is full of fun, hands-on activities for all ages. It isn’t “scary” so any child would enjoy it. It explains why our bodies react the way they do to fear with a variety of interesting displays and tasks and gives you the opportunity to challenge yourself to face a fear that you might have in a safe environment.
– Kirsten Gromatzky