Past exhibitions

Here is a list of all the previous temporary exhibitions in Science Centre AHHAA main building in Tartu since its opening in May 2011. Exhibitions that have been displayed in Tallinn and Pärnu are also listed below. 

To find out more about our earlier activities, check "AHHAA 1999-2003"   

Believe your own eyes…or not? In our new exhibition „Aha, Illusions!“, not everything is what it initially seems...

Unbelievable patterns that will make your head spin, shifting mirrors, vanishing sculptures, water flowing backwards – it looks like everything is actually happening, but is it really? Created and built by Science Centre AHHAA, this new interactive family-friendly exhibition presents you with numerous amazing optical effects and deceptive tricks that look downright magical, but are actually 100% scientifically sound.

Visit „Aha, Illusions!“ and find out:

• how and why your vision can be tricked in the first place
  
• how magnificent 3D images are created with the help of smoke, LED lights etc
  
• how easy (or hard?) it is to paint pictures or wander in the labyrinth – through a mirror
  
• how images completely change their appearance when you look at them from different anglees
  
• how water can flow backwards
• how you can paint wonderful pictures and patterns on an interactive fog curtain

Attention, all dinosaur fans and sea enthusiasts! Starting from 4 May, you absolutely MUST visit Science Centre AHHAA and our brand new exhibition “Aha, Sea Monsters!” Dive into the depths of the ancient sea and discover the mysterious world of pre-historic sea creatures.

“Aha, Sea Monsters!” shows you the gigantic sea reptiles that roamed (and swam) our planet millions of years ago. These life-size dinosaurs are moving, making noises and make you feel like you’re actually standing on the primordial seafloor. Check out 18 different sea dinosaurs, the largest of whom is 15 metres long and 5,3 metres tall.

Come to AHHAA and…:

• Discover how amazing the primeval sea world looked like
  
• Spot the similarities between the modern sea animals and their ancestors
  
• Find out whether all the dinosaurs lived in the same time
  
• Check the differences and similarities of terrestrial and aquatic dinosaurs.

Remember “Aha, Dinosaurs!”, our enormously popular exhibition from 2014? If yes, then you’ll just love our new exhibition!

“Aha, Sea Monsters!” was created by Argentinian paleonthologists Dr. Sebastian Apesteguia and Dr. Adrian Giacchino. The exhibition will be in Estonia for the first time. “Aha, Sea Monsters” is the property of Aurea Exhibitions.

On 1st December Tartu turns into a Winter Olympics' City. Your most beloved winter sports are waiting for you!

This winter, Tartu turns into an Winter Olympics’ City! Starting from 1 December, your most beloved winter sports are waiting for you at Science Centre AHHAA. Our brand new hands-on exhibition „Aha, Winter Games!“ offers frosty funtime for the whole family. Don’t just watch the sports on TV, come to AHHAA and experience it all yourself!

Sports and science have always gone hand in hand and that’s what our new exhibition is all about! Downhill skiing, curling, ice hockey, cross-country skiing and many other winter sports are waiting for you. And if you are more of a team player, why not invite your friends to a good old snowball fight?

„Aha, Winter Games!“ is created by Science Centre AHHAA and the Estonian Museum of Sports and Olympics

 Enter the winter wonderland to

• Dash down the snow-covered hills
  
• Step on the ice rink and play some hockey
  
• Fly to the new heights on the ski-jumping hill
  
• Take the perfect aim on the biathlon track
  
• Ride on a dog sleigh
  
• Rediscover your childhood in a snowball fight! 

More than 10 million people have already visited it and now it’s your turn. Real human bodies have been preserved by a unique technique – plastination. Come and see the side of humans that is rarely seen otherwise: surprising secrets, interesting details and the complex structure.

Our brand new exhibition literally takes you inside human bodies. More than 150 organs and body parts will be on display in our Hall of Temporary exhibitions. So come and see what the human body really looks like – inside out!

At AHHAA’s newest exhibition, you can take a look at:

• skeleton
• muscles
• respiratory system
• nervous system
• cardiovascular system

Here is your chance to get to know your body better (and also learn how to take better care of it!)

More than 100 cross-sections of actual human bodies are waiting for you in Science Centre AHHAA!

This time, Science Centre AHHAA shows its visitors what’s going on behind the scenes – how special effects are created and movie miracles are actually made.

„Aha, Behind the Scenes“ shows you the very important side of moviemaking that usually remains invisible. What you see on the movie or TV screen is never the same thing that the camera sees!

„Aha, Behind the Scenes!“ was created by Science Centre AHHAA.

Now you can become a director or a cinematographer – or even an actor! In this exhibition, you can:

• Learn how green screen effects are created (and create some by yourself)
  
• How does movie make-up work and how can we make regular people look like monsters?
  
• Try on different movie costumes – become The Incredible Hulk, Darth Vader or a fairytale princess
  
• Create stop motion cartoons
  
• Try to film with CableCam, crane camera and the dolly.
  

Come and find out what’s happening behind the scenes!

07.05.2015-17.04.2016

You too can become a secret agent! The mission awaits you at Science Centre AHHAA. On 7th May 2015, we open the doors to the hidden world of secret service. Find out how real secret agents work and use the same methods and technology as they do!

„Aha, Top Secret!“ is open until 17th April 2016. If you’re a fan of detective novels and movies or want to know how crime scene investigation works, this exhibition is definitely for you!

Come to AHHAA and:

• Break the encrypted code that is hiding classified information
• Learn how to move around unseen
• Crawl in through the secret (and laser-guarded!) entrance
• Solve a murder mystery by using real spy tactics

And remember – only a true  secret agent will succeed! Your mission begins here.

"Aha, Dinosaurs!"

From the 14th of November until the 26th of April our exhibition hall will be swarming with real dinosaurs who roar, move, scream and will probably make your heart beat faster!

How did this happen? Well, we invented a Time Machine and accidentally turned it 200 million years into the past. The result is a house full of dinosaurs and we’re in a bit of a trouble. If you dare, then come by and see how these pre-historic animals really looked like. "Aha, Dinosaurs!" is waiting for you.

• Dinosaurs lived on all the continents, including Antarctica.

• All dinosaurs laid eggs; About 40 kinds of dinosaur eggs have been discovered. The largest dinosaur eggs were as large as basketballs. The bigger the egg, the thicker the shell. So if the eggs had been larger, dinosaur babies probably would not have been able to get out.

• 120 tons – The weight of ONE Argentinosaurus, the heaviest of all animals, equal to 100 elephants.

• Some dinosaurs had more than 1000 teeth. All dinosaurs could replace their teeth at any time.

• The closest living relatives of dinosaurs today are birds. They have existed and evolved over the last 150 million years.

If you want to find out some more about dinosaurs, then come and check out our exhibition!

"Aha, Dinosaurs!" is open 14.11.2014 - 26.04.2015

"Sink or Sail?"

03.05.-01.11.2014

On May 3 2014, AHHAA invites you to an extraordinary journey on the sea! Our new exhibition, an exciting introduction to water physics and maritime

"Sink or Sail?" is the largest and technically most complex exhibition that has ever been made in Estonia. It's a magnificent adventure to the world of water physics and the history of marine travel

Come and...

• Create giant waves and new landscapes
• Escape from a sinking ship
• Solve the the great mystery of the Bermuda Triangle
• Find out what happens if you try to sail the sea in a rectangular boat.

"Sink or Sail?" is open until 1 November 2014.

Supported by Estonian Research Council

"Aha, Keep in Touch!"

12.11-2013-13.04.2014

Enter the wonderful and mysterious world of senses! AHHAA's brand new exhibition "Aha, Keep in Touch!" opens on 12 November 2013.

From 12 November 2013 to 13 April 2014, the visitors of AHHAA are welcomed to visit our sense and perception themed exhibition "Aha, Keep in Touch!". Nearly 50 interactive hands-on (and minds-on) exhibits are waiting for you in our hall of temporary exhibitions.

The exhibition is divided into nine different areas. Come and check out the snuggling tunnel, take a journey into the world of human perception, wander in the dark and explore the animal kingdom.

In "Aha, Keep in Touch!", you will...

• Get to know the world through the soles of your feet.
• Read books written in Braille alphabet and find out how to get around in complete darkness, where you cannot rely on any visual perception.
• Find out how easily minds can be deceived.

The exhibition will be open until 13 April 2014.

"Aha, Keep in Touch!" is built by Apex.
Photographs courtesy of Apex.

"Aha, Red Herring!"

01.06-31.10.2013

"Aha, Red Herring!" is a completely unique, but totally fun exhibition on the Baltic Sea, food production and consumption.

Did you know that the Baltic Sea is one of the largest inland seas in the world? Due to several geographical and biological factors, it is also an extraordinary living environment for many organisms. However, these factors also make Baltic Sea extremely vulnerable and susceptible to damage caused by human activity. Did you know that polluted water from rivers may affect the fish living in Baltic Sea, which - when they end up on our dinner plates - may then affect us as well? "Aha, Red Herring!" lets you explore the unexpected and surprising side of the Baltic Sea, food production and the connections between these two.

Come and find out...

• How to make ketchup (and see how complex and time-consuming this process may be).
• Sneak a peek through the eyes of a fish and see what underwater life looks like.
• How much do you need to exercise to burn off the calories from that cheeseburger you had for lunch.

"Aha, Space!"

(From here on, all exhibitions will be in the main building in Tartu only)
15.11.12-12.05.2013

Come and join us on a race to space! Straight from Australia, "Aha, Space!" is a unique opportunity to do what millions have dreamed about, but only a chosen few have really experienced.

In 1961, the first man journeyed into outer space. In 1969 the first man stepped on Moon. In 2012, it's your turn to discover space. Find out how to navigate, whether it's possible to scream in space and what do stars look like if you look at them from outside Earth.

• Can you land a space shuttle?
• How do drive a Mars rover?
• What does a real Sputnik look like?

"Aha, Sparkling and Sizzling"

AHHAA Pärnu 01.06-31.08.2013
AHHAA Tallinn 04.11.12-30.04.2013
AHHAA Tartu 04.05-30.10.2012

"Aha, Sparkling and Sizzling!", an exhibition built by AHHAA's own exhibition masters which shows the unexpected and wondrous world of light and physics. Write your own personal statement in UV graffiti, get lost in the world of mirrors and try to catch lightning! In addition to the exhibition, you're welcome to join in our fascinating workshops that take place every day.

Did you know that...

• Light travels at the speed of 300 000 km/h and nothing is faster than that?
• Visual information makes up 80% of all the information we receive through our sensory organs?
• Information on the Internet travels by optical cables?

"Aha, The Sound of Physics!"

AHHAA Tallinn 10.05-31.10.2012
AHHAA Tartu 01.11.11-30.04.12012

Would you like to...

• Jam like Jimi Hendrix did?
• Beat an invisible drum?
• Conduct a symphony orchestra?
• Find out how exactly is music made?

Built by Science Centre Heureka in Finland, to open the minds of visitors to the wonderful and multi-faceted world of music. Come and create sounds of your own by using different instruments and methods, get to know the physical properties of sound and let the music influence your body and mind!

You can experiment with every instrument - giant panpipes, air guitar or never ending piano, become a conductor of a symphony orchestra, beat an invisible drum and find out how musical you are. Additionally, you can listen to the music made by different people and nations and compare the sound of a song as recorded on a wax cylinder and compact disc.

The exhibition was created by Heureka in cooperation with the Sibelius Academy, Department of Music of the University of Helsinki, Department of Sound Processing and Acoustics of Aalto University, Centre of Art and Technology Espoo and several enterprises.

You don't have to hold a tune to visit the exhibition - everyone can make music!

"Robot Zoo"

AHHAA Tartu 11.06-31.10.2011

Robot Zoo is a study of the form and function of real animals through their bio-mechanical counterparts. Here, the animals are mechanical, programmable robots displayed in the context of their natural habitats. On display, you can see a bat, chameleon, giraffe, grasshopper, house fly, platypus, rhinoceros and giant squid! Come and see the amazing mechanics of living things!