Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention Temporary Exhibits

Food + Agriculture: Florida-Grown Innovation. Theme runs September 19 - January 12, 2025

Whether you’re an aspiring scientist or simply curious, witness how innovation is actively shaping the future of food production in the Sunshine State! Explore engaging activities and exhibits illuminating the science and technology driving our food supply chain from seed to table. Uncover the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on agriculture. Even gain insights into the masterminds behind our food production right from harvest headquarters—the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science!

During this theme, you can earn the following Inventivity Badges:

Agriculture – September 19 – October 27​
Ecosystems – October 31 – December 8​
Releasing Stored Energy – December 12 – January 12, 2025​

Regrow as We Go: Learning From Unintended Consequences. Exhibit opens September 19
Inventors often solve some of the world’s biggest problems, but sometimes it takes decades to unearth the unintended consequences of the original invention. In the second half of the twentieth century, the remarkable feat of converting nitrogen gas into synthetic fertilizers changed the world. This “Green Revolution” tripled staple-crop production while only increasing land use by 30%, reducing world poverty, and lowering food prices. Only decades later are we encountering its unintended consequence. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on the inventors that are improving and restoring our planet’s food-production potential, starting with one of the three minerals keeping all of agriculture afloat: nitrogen.

Rube Goldberg™: The World of Hilarious Invention! May 19 - January 5
Created by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in partnership with the Heirs of Rube Goldberg, the exhibition showcases Pulitzer Prize winning humorist and inventor Rube Goldberg’s iconic contraptions and celebrates his humorous storytelling and inventive cartoons. Inspired by Rube’s original illustrations, the exhibit contains a collection of new 3D, life-size machines and hands-on, interactive components that connect Rube’s iconic cartoon contraptions to the way things work in the physical world. These experiences provide insight into the legacy of Rube Goldberg and how classic engineering principles can be reimagined as entry points for deeper exploration of STEAM concepts for 21st century learning.

Tom Petty: Among the Wildflowers Exhibit runs June 8 - October 13
This exhibit explores the joys, pains, and creative awakenings that Gainesville native Tom Petty experienced while pouring his soul into his second solo studio album, Wildflowers (1994). Featuring artifacts previously on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the exhibit allows guests to listen to first-hand accounts from Tom and the Wildflowers team about the album’s spirited creation.