Every object in our world has a story of how it is made.

How People Make Things tells the story by linking familiar childhood objects to a process of manufacturing that combines people, ideas, and technology!

Inspired by the factory tour segments from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television series, How People Make Things offers hands-on activities using real factory tools and machines to create objects with four manufacturing processes - molding, cutting, deforming and assembly.

The possibilities are endless!

Don coveralls, lab coats, aprons, safety glasses, and hard hats to become a factory technician, worker, or supervisor. Mold pourable wax, explore vacuum forming and injection molding and match products to the mold from which they were made. Use a die cutter to make a box and horse, operate a three-axis mill to carve a block of wax, assemble parts of a real golf cart and race a robotic arm to see who assembles a replica of the signature trolley from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood faster. 

The factory tour videos from the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood television series featured in the exhibit depict the making of crayons, carousel horses, balls, stop lights, quarters, shoes, toy cars, and toy wagons. Everyday products featured in How People Make Things include 10,000 Crayola crayons in 90 colors, 10,000 plastic pellets, 300 ice cream cups, stop lights, cooking pans, sneakers, baseball bats, baseball mitts and even matchbox cars!