From left to right: Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez and wife Gloria Gonzalez; Miami Children’s Museum (MCM) CEO Deborah Spiegelman; Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban L. Bovo, Jr.; MCM Chairman of the Board Jeff Berkowitz; MCM President Gary Rashefsky; and South Florida children.
At Plane Fun’s Control Tower, visitors become virtual air traffic controllers by listening to real conversations between the tower and airplane pilots, and viewing video of arriving aircraft.
MIAMI – Young passengers at Miami International Airport can now take their travel experience to a whole new level with Plane Fun, the airport’s new interactive children’s play area that opened on October 13 near Gate E-5. Created in collaboration with Miami Children’s Museum, Plane Fun features six interactive, immersive exhibits that are educational and, well, just plain fun.
“Plane Fun is the latest way that we’re striving to make MIA as customer-friendly as possible for passengers of all ages,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez. “Travelers now have an area in the middle of the airport where their young ones can enjoy an entertaining learning experience before their flight or during a long layover. Keeping children happy during long trips can be a challenge. Plane Fun takes some pressure off of the adults and gives their children a healthy recreational activity without leaving the airport.”
At Plane Fun’s Control Tower, visitors become virtual air traffic controllers by listening to real conversations between the tower and airplane pilots, and viewing video of arriving aircraft. The Toddler Play Space contains a sit-in airplane, crawl-through fuselage tunnel and other tactile-learning activities for the smallest aviators. Older children can Learn to Fly by taking the controls of a remote-controlled plane and practice landings and takeoffs, or tour Miami by siting inside the cockpit of a model airplane as they Clear for Takeoff. Simulated hot air balloon rides are available in the I Spy Miami from the Sky exhibit. Last but not least, Plane Fun participants can take a photo selfie in front of unique aircraft on a five-foot-tall touch screen monitor and email themselves a lasting memory at Plane Crazy.
Plane Fun is located just beyond the Concourse E security checkpoint for ticketed passengers, and is also accessible post-security from Concourse D. Other customer service amenities recently launched at MIA include the MIA Airport Official mobile app, pre-security yoga room, indoor pet relief areas, and the MIAmamas nursing suites.
The Miami Children’s Museum (MCM), located on Watson Island, offers bilingual and interactive exhibits, programs and classes, and learning materials related to arts, culture, community and communication. The Museum features 14 interactive galleries as well as many exciting and fun traveling exhibits. Miami Children’s Museum is dedicated to enriching the lives of all children by fostering a love of learning and enabling children to realize their highest potential. Through arts and educational programs, MCM seeks to include and target all audiences in Miami's changing and diverse community by becoming the "town center" for Miami-Dade County's children and families.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
