CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is one of the most successful franchises in television history. Consistently topping the ratings charts, CSI’s popularity has resulted in two spin-off series, CSI: Miami and CSI: New York, both of which share in their predecessor’s success.
Now, The Houston Museum of Natural Science gives viewers a chance to get in on the action with, CSI: The Experience. Developed by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, The Experience is an interactive role-playing exhibition. Patrons go through all the steps of a true crime scene investigation, and after compiling their findings, submit a final report to Gil Grissom (head of the CSI unit on Crime Scene Investigation) himself.
The exhibit begins with a short video introduction by series creator and executive producer Anthony Zuiker explaining his inspiration for the series (time spent with Las Vegas Police Department crime scene investigators), how it came to be and the idea behind The Experience. The audience is then introduced to its boss, Grissom (William Petersen) who gives members the run down of their assignment and the expectations he has for them, after which they are dismissed "into the field."
There are three different crime scenes that patrons are split into equally. Once these crime scenes are assigned, note cards, pencils and clip boards are distributed and the investigations begin.
After all relevant evidence is recorded at the scene, it’s on to the laboratory. This is the bulk of the exhibit, where you, the investigator, make your way around the lab, conducting analysis at various stations appropriate to your case. The lab divisions cover everything from firearms and tool marks to forensic botany, anthropology and biology.
This may sound a bit intimidating, but each station is either introduced via video starring one of the characters of Crime Scene Investigation, or by a helpful museum employee with knowledge of the subject material. And don’t worry if science isn’t your forte; interactive touch-screen computer terminals have most, if not all, of the complicated case work taken care of. All that’s required of you is some contrasting of evidence along with a healthy dose of deductive reasoning.
Also featured in the laboratory are video-recording stations at which patrons can document any additional thoughts they have about their case. Not only are these clips saved for the future reference of other "investigators," the option is also available to e-mail them to yourself as a souvenir of your time as a crime scene investigator.
Finally, after visiting all the lab stations and compiling a detailed report – with the assistance of your computer terminal time and note card documentation – it’s time to submit your findings. This last computer interface asks a series of questions about your case, and assuming you’ve connected all the dots, Grissom reveals his theory, based on your evidence, to what lead to the victim’s demise. He even adds one of his trademark witty Grissom-isms at the end that sums up the case nicely.
While in the midst of your investigation, be sure to take in the intricate details of the laboratory, such as the variety of equipment and informative forensic bulletins. It’s obvious that a lot of thought was put into the work environment to make it not only a fun experience, but also an educational one, so don’t get so caught up in solving the case that you fail to appreciate the exhibit for all it’s worth. And since there are three distinct crime scenes, it takes more than one visit to get the full CSI Experience, so if you enjoy your first time there, it’s definitely worth another trip or two.
CSI: The Experience will be at the Houston Museum of Natural Science through April 30. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students with a valid ID. For more information visit www.csitheexperience.org.
