REVIEW: BB Visits Dopamine Land
Dopamine Land has come to Washington, D.C.! An interactive sensory museum, the experience is located in Friendship Heights and BB had the chance to check it out!
To start, the whole point of this experience is to teach the attendee what creates dopamine. For those who may not know, dopamine is what triggers the brain to create the feeling of pleasure in the human body. It can be created in a variety of different ways and Dopamine Land sets out to provide a hands on example of what sights, sounds, and smells can trigger this addictive feeling.
When you first arrive to the museum, you are asked to wait in the lobby before proceeding into the exhibits. Though you shouldn’t have to wait long, if you do find yourself waiting, the museum has a number of things to do right there in lobby. From a small ball pit, a few photo opportunities, merchandise and an oxygen bar, there is plenty to do while you wait. From the main lobby, attendees are taken into a room, where they are given basic instructions on how the tour will work. Featuring multiple rooms, you are guided through each room by Amina, an audio recording whose main goal is to explain how the activities you are partaking in can create dopamine. The experience is supposed to last anywhere between 30-50 minutes, but you can go as fast or as slow as you want. There is a crew member featured in each room in the event you become over stimulated or if you need to exit the room, but they are not there to rush you along. That want you to enjoy the experience for as long or as short as you want.
As we made our way through the rooms, we made sure to stop and read everything provided. They helped explain in more detail how dopamine, whether good or bad, affects a human’s body and mind. These reading materials, gave us a better sense of why we enjoy certain things and why we don’t. Remember that each room might not trigger responses,; they didn’t for us. However, we will say the pillow fight room was our favorite. Near the end of your journey, you can safely engage in a pillow fight with your friends. Filled with a variety of different pillows, this was the room we had the most fun in and triggered our reward responses the fastest.
Groups with children will most likely spend more time in here than adult only groups. Though the experience is built for all ages, I don’t exactly see an adult jumping into a ball pit with a bunch of small children. However, if you are looking for something to do on a rainy day or need to bide time, this experience is for you. It’s open now until the middle of March, so get your tickets while you can here.
