Just down the street from the Orlando Wonder Works is another Orlando attraction. In this one the building is sinking into the ground; it’s the Orlando Wonder Works, where the building appears upside down! Evidently this incredible scenario is the byproduct of a secret laboratory that was located in the infamous Bermuda Triangle.
That lab created a tornado that sucked the Wonder Works building up, hurled it for miles and then dropped it – conveniently – right smack dab on the tourist oriented and visitor friendly International Drive, in Orlando, upside down and on top of a nondescript red brick building. The remains of that building can be seen to the right of the Wonder Works building, when standing in front of it, as we were for the this photo.
It’s a nice bit of design and build. Above is the view of the Orlando Wonder Works building from the sidewalk just in front, on International Drive.
What is Orlando Wonder Works?
Oriented for the younger Orlando visitor, yet interesting enough for the adults that accompany them, Wonder Works offers the paying guest dozens and dozens of exhibits. Many are interactive, such as:
- laser tag module
- glow in the dark ropes course
- astronaut training gyro
- the bubble lab
- flight simulators
Please note that all attractions are not including in the base ticket price. More information on that is below.
They promote themselves as an “amusement park for the mind”. They certainly fulfill that requirement, particularly if it includes keeping young hands and feet busy for a number of hours, perhaps on a day when the typically sunny skies around Orlando have become heavy with rain during your visit?
As you approach the building, you can see that the design offers a nice feel of realism, as evident by the “cracks” in the wall you can see all over the street-facing wall.
Given that Wonder Works is upside down, how do you get in?
Entrance to Orlando Wonder Works
About mid way in the front of Wonder Works a section of the roof was destroyed when the building crash landed. This has been cleverly turned into an entrance, complete with bridge over the ditch, into which pipes spew water and steam. It’s a wonder the city works crew haven’t been down to turn of the mains yet! 🙂
Inside the lobby, blessedly cool if you’ve been scorched by the Orlando sun, look up. This is what you’ll see.
Wonder Works has landed on an existing brick building. The lobby is what’s left of the original. Since the impact clearly destroyed the roof of the Wonder Works lab, you can now see up into it.
A nice bit of mind trickery as you try to orient yourself by looking up – upside down – and then down – which is right side up – into the “normal” lobby.
In the photo above the ticket counter is to the right, and the entrance to Wonder Works attractions are through a door straight ahead.
Little visitors have to meet a minimum height requirement, so before you pay for tickets, make sure your children are big enough to enjoy what Wonder Works has to offer.
Dinner at Wonder Works?
For the grownups, Wonder Works offers a magic show and dinner featuring all you can eat pizza, salad, popcorn, beer, wine, soft drinks and dessert. More information is available from their website, listed below.
Parking?
By the way, there is no easy parking at Wonder Works. However, just a bit along International Drive is Icon Park around which is lots of no-charge parking. Orlando Wonder Works is also just a couple of blocks from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in Orlando Florida, also on International Drive.
Want more information before you go?
Wonder Works Orlando
9067 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
T: 407-351-8800
W: http://www.wonderworksonline.com/orlando/the-experience/