
DATE: Tuesday, October 21, 1997             TAG: 9710180066

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E3   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: THINGS TO DO 

SOURCE: BY KRYS STEFANSKY, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   85 lines

TAKE A SPACE WALK IN HAMPTON

OUTER SPACE IS, well, big at our house these days. Emma has glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling. She asks how far away the moon really is. (Farther than North Carolina?) She thinks astronaut suits are great.

Riding this wave, we drove to Hampton and the Virginia Air and Space Center. Grandpa - retired Air Force - was with us. He was in his element, snapping pictures right and left and slapping a Pershing II missile on the side like it was an old buddy.

The bad news is, we missed the IMAX movie ``Cosmic Voyage.'' After a long run that included more show times, it is now screened just once daily at 10 a.m. Lesson learned: Always call ahead.

The good news is that there was plenty of other stuff to see and do. I had my doubts when we first walked in. Bringing a not-quite-5-year-old into this high-tech environment full of air and space artifacts suddenly felt like trouble.

But our youngster headed right for the Apollo 12 command module that carried astronauts Conrad, Bean and Gordon into lunar orbit in 1962.

``That,'' said Emma, confident of the truth, ``is a space ship.''

OK. I knew right then we were going to be just fine.

She bounced over to a set of huge foam blocks and, together, we built an arch. Several times, in fact. I had to bribe her to move on. A jumble of giant Tinker Toys became a helicopter. Other hands-on exhibits in an area that explores the dynamics of structures let us build a dome, gothic arch and bridges.

Together we studied a map of the moon, ignored some complicated displays on shock waves and supersonic flight, bypassed an opportunity to surf the Internet and ended up in a fascinating exhibit about planet Mars.

Emma pored over a laminated, vintage 1957 comic book with futuristic drawings entitled ``Mars and Beyond.'' She peered through a magnifying glass at an actual piece of Mars - a meteorite fragment found in Nigeria 35 years ago.

``Well, when it fell, did it hit anybody?'' she wondered.

She was enormously entertained by a display called ``Earthling or Alien.'' It's especially designed for children and features lift-up flaps and a tiny room with a low ceiling that'll put an egg on your head if you're a forgetful grown-up.

Farther on, we got a feel for being a real astronaut in the weightlessness of outer space. At one counter visitors can put on heavy gloves that mimic a space suit and try to build something with Legos. At another you can stand on a rotating platform and try to turn a hand valve. It's harder than it looks.

A big, cumbersome space suit hangs from the ceiling. Here you can be an ``Astronaut for a Minute.'' Put your face into a frame, push a button, and there's your grin projected onto the face guard of the helmet.

Natch, we took a picture of ourselves here.

We checked out a chunk of lunar rock and, with Dad's help, managed to push the right buttons to start a countdown and fire a rocket. Harnessed in a plexiglass tube, it really does blast straight upward and stops just short of exploding through the ceiling into the sky over Hampton.

The center has a gift shop stocked with toys and puzzles and a cafe that offers drinks and snacks. And some exhibits and films change every few months. So call ahead! ILLUSTRATION: IF YOU GO

What: Virginia Air & Space Center

Where: 600 Settlers Landing Road, downtown Hampton; from I-64

west, take exit 267, which puts you on Settlers Landing.

Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m to 5 p.m. through May 20;

then Monday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through

Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The IMAX Theater is open Thursday through Sunday for double

features and special shows. Now showing: ``Cosmic Voyage,'' ``The

Magic of Flight,'' ``Stormchasers'' and, starting Nov. 27,

``Titanica.''

Cost: Admission to exhibits is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4

for children 3-11. IMAX films are $5.50 for adults, $4.50 for