Yes! Many of the exhibits have hands on components. In the basement/lower level there is actually a whole hands on room! Fossil dig, smells, magnified glass bugs, blocks, coloring, etc etc. It's called the Smead Discovery Center.
This whole museum is designed for children (and adults) who want/need to touch and move and look up close. It would probably be easier to list the things that shouldn't be touched, but those things have barriers of some sort so don't worry about that. Some examples from a recent visit: assemble parts of a plastic skull (like a puzzle), stand on a platform simulating an earthquake, "put" your face on an evolutionary ancestor family tree, touch something to feel what it would feel like to a raccoon, watch and listen to live animals, climb on Steggie the dinosaur. (Note: they are beginning a renovation/addition, so some of things might be unavailable or change.) PLUS live animal shows. Whether COVID is still a concern when you read this or not... it's probably wise to bring hand sanitizer.
Yes
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