Indoor go-kart track opening at Kamin Science Center, with special hours for adults
The Kamin Science Center has a brand-new permanent exhibit opening Saturday, Aug. 1, called the "Science of Speed." It takes over what used to be the Sports Works building.
If you have a need for speed, you can hit the gas in all-electric go-karts, testing your racing skills around hairpin turns and up and down three stories on an 800-foot track. The cars can go up to 40 mph and can do 10 to 14 laps in six minutes.
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor was the first to go full throttle.
"It's fun," O'Connor said. "It's great. It's a lot faster than you think — just for a go-kart track to go up and down and around bends, it's definitely a great experience and we had a lot of fun."
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., it's 18 and older only, with "The Pit Stop" bar serving food and drinks.
"It's a very different thing for the science center," said Jason Brown, the Henry Buhl Jr. director of the Kamin Science Center. "We've always focused on that 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. crowd, and we really want to be a place where everyone in Pittsburgh feels there's something for them."
There are also racing simulators where you can race your friends and family, including a Wave Italy Formula One motion simulator — the only one of its kind in western Pennsylvania. In addition to all the fun with the racing and simulators, you can learn a lot about things like vehicle design, aerodynamics and engine technology. You can test your reflexes, see a real moto racing suit with built-in airbags and see the engine from an opened-up Audi R8.
KDKA's Kristine Sorensen gave the go-karts a try. She said squatting into the car may be difficult for some adults, but once she was in, she felt secure with the tight-fitting helmet and seat belt.
She describes the experience as exhilarating, maneuvering the tight turns and trying to figure out how to pass other drivers. She says it gives you a taste of what a real race car driver experiences and why knowing the science behind it helps you perform better, and that's what the Science of Speed is really all about.
"What I really want (visitors) to understand is that the racing industry has created innovations that they experience every day," Brown said. "So the cars that we drive now have things in them that exist because of what was created in the industry."
During the day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can get into Science of Speed using your Kamin Science Center admission ticket. The all-electric kart racing is for anyone 7 and older and at least 4 feet tall. It's $14 a race, and the simulators are also extra.
At night, it's free to get in, and each go-kart race is $24, and the simulators are extra. You can find many more things to do with kids and resources for families at kidsburgh.org.
KDKA is proud to partner with kidsburgh.org.
