Nowadays it seems a key badge of world-class cities is a big, shiny, pricey science museum. Miami will join that club when MSM moves into splashy new downtown quarters in 2015 (and as part of the deal, this publicly owned museum had to take the name of a rich donor). In the meantime, kids still seem to get a kick out of what’s in these modest current digs, including exhibits about topics such as hurricanes (very locally relevant), hydropower, kinetic energy (a dance floor where dance moves power the strobe lights), and live animals including snakes, tarantulas, and the birds and reptiles house in the outdoor annex connected to the wildlife rescue center (a star attraction is George the female North American bald eagle). Others relating to conservation and fitness are less “fun” but well presented for a young audience. The jewel in the crown is a planetarium with a half-dozen star and laser shows a day. Right across the road is Vizcaya (below), so if that manse is also on your agenda, you may want to plan accordingly.