Waterfest

In honor of World Humanitarian Day, the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum is partnering with local water advocates to showcase the efforts of “Water Heroes” — the people and organizations who work to protect water quality, watersheds, aquatic life, and water access around the world every day.

Join us for water related games and crafts, water testing, demonstrations, and more! Learn about water heroes and initiatives in your own backyard and around the world in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere.

The event is FREE and will take place rain or shine.

Check back here for more details as the big day gets closer!

Schedule:

11:00 am: Doors Open

11:15 am: Allis Pump Basement Tours Begin (every 15 min until 12:30pm)

11:30 am: Great Engines Hall Tour (Sign ups Required)

12:00 pm: Water Testing Round 1 (Sign ups Required)

12:30 .pm: Great Engines Hall Tour (Sign ups Required)

1:15 pm: Allies Pump Basement Tours Resume (every 15 min until 3:00pm)

1:30 pm: Great Engines Hall Tour (Sign ups Required)

2:00 pm: Water Testing Round 2 (Sign ups Required)

2:30 pm: Great Engines Hall Tour (Sign ups Required)

3:00 pm: Waterfest Ends

Ongoing Activities

1.   Trash and Recycle Toss Game: After determining whether an object goes in the trash or recycling bin, try your hand at tossing it in to win a prize.

2. Waterworks Skee Ball Game: Try to get water to reservoirs all over the world in this unique take on a classic arcade game. Win a prize for your efforts.

3. UV Light Launch Game: Take out the germs behind some deadly waterborne diseases by launching “rays of UV light” to knock them down. Win a prize for your efforts.

4. Try a Yoke and Bucket: Walk a short distance with one of the oldest water gathering tools still in use today.

5. Waterworks Jungle Gym (for children 6 and under): Little ones will take on the role of a raindrop as they crawl through all of the elements of a good waterworks system.

6. Face painting by Clover: Celebrate water and its champions with images of nature, water, heroes – or whatever you choose- by a professional artist.

7. Watershed in a Box with the Charles River Watershed Association Drop by this fun, hands-on science demo and learn about the ways pollution can get into a river and affect the wildlife, ecosystems, and communities around it. You’ll find out what you can do to help, too!

8. Water Testing, Collection, and Treatment Around the World: Explore a variety of household water collection and treatment devices used around the world by people without safe water access. Learn about “Simple Microbiological Indicator Organism Testing” of drinking water.

9. Ocean Animal Scavenger Hunt: Take on the role of a Marine Biologist as you search the ocean deep for all the sea animal figurines on your list.

10. Water Wall and Play Area: Have fun exploring a variety of water toys.

11. MWRA Water Fountain: Stay hydrated with a sip of good old tap water from the MWRA’s portable water fountain.

12. Information Desk: Stop here for information, directions, lost and found, assistance, or to make a donation in support of the museum’s programs.

13. Great Engines Hall Tour Sign Ups: Sign up here to take a guided tour of the Great Engines Hall with one of our knowledgeable volunteer docents. Tours run at 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm.

14. Water Testing Sign Ups: Sign up here to take part in a series of water quality tests on a nearby stream. This experience lasts 30 – 40 minutes and takes place at 12pm and 2pm.

15. Massachusetts Rivers Alliance:  Learn about the challenges and opportunities facing rivers across the Commonwealth and partake in a hands-on demo of watershed management principles using an Enviroscape model.

16. UNICEF: Learn about UNICEF’s work for children with WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) Programs. Try an activity about creating oral rehydration salts, used to help dehydrated children.

17. Make a Waterborne Germ: Use yarn to create a fuzzy microbe friend to take home.

18. What’s in your Water? Microscope Viewing: See some waterborne microbes up close, then play a quick game to see if you can judge if a germ is harmful by looks alone.

19. Allis Pump Basement Tours: Stop here for a quick guided tour of the Allis Pumps in the basement. Or, put your name on the waitlist to return at another time. Tours run every 15 minutes from 11am to 12:30pm and 1:15pm to 3pm.

20. Learn About Ocean Acidification: Stop by for interactive activities illustrating the effect of CO₂ on Ocean pH and learn about the impacts of ocean acidification on marine animals.

21. Make a Water Hero Shield: Learn about some real-life heroes for water while making your own Water Hero Shield, showcasing ways we can all protect water.

22. Coloring Station: Color in fun water themed coloring pages or make your own water cycle spinner.

23. New England Water Environment Association: Can you really flush everything that says it’s “flushable”? Find out with the folks from NEWEA.

24. Dye a Paper Raindrop: Through the magic of capillary action, use markers and water to create cool deigns on your paper rain drop

25. InSanirator: Stop by to hear about their work producing small, self-sustaining waste treatment machines for the developing world.

Waterfest Program

Waterfest Floorplan