Blue Man Group-Making Waves
Boston Children’s Museum has teamed up with Blue Man Group performance artists and audio scientists from Harman International to take us where no children’s museum has gone before in Blue Man Group—Making Waves. The exhibit features a playful and accessible approach to the science of sound, utilizing extraordinary JBL technology and dynamic Blue Man Group as our guide. Onstage, the Blue Man is one part inquisitive child, one part trickster, and one part superhero on a journey of discovery. This same approach guided the creation of Blue Man Group—Making Waves, encouraging playful learning through sensory engagement and interactive entertainment. This shared experience is a multi sensory exploration of sound for the whole family.

• Colors, shadows and luminescent objects create
  an exciting visual setting where we see, feel, and create sound.


• Children of all ages can play the unique Blue Man Group instruments, while learning how sound works.


• The immersive experience culminates in a surround sound theater where engineering genius combines with a short musical piece by Blue Man Group to illustrate the elements of sound.


• All exhibit components designed for family learning and group experiences that foster collaboration and shared insights.


• Target audience is children 4 – 12 years old and adult learners who appreciate the exhibit’s unique “cross-over” audience appeal.

Entry tube
A sound and light tunnel—the LED entrance fuselage—beckons visitors into the exhibit. Directional arrows scroll forward in the LED lit floor while sonic tubes play elements of a tribal rhythm.

Intro Wall
Around the bend, Blue Man Group appears on a monitor bopping their heads rhythmically in time with the music. This exhibit introduction also gives us our first glimpse of the Blue Man character.

Tube Phones
Next, “Tube Phones” demonstrate the different characteristics of sound and how it can be manipulated. A visitor speaks into a microphone and hears his voice played back through lengths of tubing. Echo, distortion, and reverb are all demonstrated through this personal voice transformation.

Seeing Sound
What does sound look like? Here visitors can play a Theremin organ—an eerie sounding instrument played by moving closer or farther away. An oscilloscope shows the sound waves created and kids can watch the distinctive patterns of harmonies and dissonance while they play.

Slide/Build-u-lum
In this area visitors put together PVC tubes – a signature Blue Man experience – to create instruments. At the Build-u-lum bins of color coded pipe provide the raw materials and different tube lengths result in different pitch. Song books with color-coded “notes” are attached making it possible to build and play a song. At the Slide-u-lum, percussion meets the slide trombone. Visitors slide PVC tubes into long or short configurations then strike their new instrument to produce the note they’re looking for.

Sand Drum
We all know that sound is a physical vibration in the air. But we rarely think about the physicality of sound. Here we’ll see, and feel that sound is a physical force with the ability to move things. Speakers mounted under drum heads will produce aural vibrations that form resonance patterns in sand. As we control the pitch and volume, the patterns respond giving a physical form to the aural experience.

PVC’s
Play PVC instruments just like Blue Man Group. Three sets of pipes let kids experiment separately – or join together in their own Blue Man performance. A pulsing black-light produces brilliant colors and the PVCs are positioned in front of a dramatic stage photograph from the show. A great place for collaboration between visitors, kids can follow a flashing light to play pre-set tunes or compose their own creations.

Belly Drum
No more pots and pans after visitors experience the Belly Drum wall. Learn from the Blue Men how to use the human body as a percussion instrument. Once the art of belly drumming is perfected visitors can play along as the Blue Men perform the Belly Drum Song.

Surround Sound Theater
The whole experience comes together in the intimate surround sound theatre. The Blue Men perform a song created specifically for this exhibit maximizing the use of surround sound technology while putting together the elements of sound showcased throughout the interactive exhibit .The musical crescendo like the Blue Man show itself, will leave visitors asking for more.