From The Carnegie Science Center:

Carnegie Science Center, in partnership with The Toonseum, will bring the rollicking, nationally renowned Life-Size Mousetrap to Pittsburgh from Aug. 13–21. This kinetic sculpture is a comically involved, complicated invention, laboriously contrived to perform a simple operation. In a Rube Goldberg-like fashion, this massive contraption brings science and engineering to a whole new level with chain reactions, bowling balls, live music, and a crew dedicated to giving the audience a smashing good time.

Visitors to the Science Center will see this fun-filled spectacle come to life. Each vaudeville-style performance is a lively and interactive experience, with “clown engineers,” mischievous “mice,” a one-woman musical juggernaut called Esmerelda Strange, and lots of contraption action. This 25-ton machine offers viewers an experience in Newtonian physics on an unprecedented scale. The grand finale is a two-ton safe falling from a 30-foot crane.

Contained in a 50’x50’ outdoor space, the Life-Size Mousetrap will cover a large part of the Science Center’s riverfront area. In addition to daily performances, an evening party on Saturday, Aug. 13, will kick off the exhibit for those ages 21 and older. A summer camp for budding contraption constructers ages 8-12 is offered from Aug. 15-19.

“The Life-Size Mousetrap provides viewers an opportunity to experience fun science concepts outside of the classroom, in a setting that’s flashy and extreme,” say Ann Metzger, Henry Buhl, Jr., co-director of the Science Center. “That makes it a great fit for Carnegie Science Center, where we strive every day to delight and engage the young innovators of tomorrow. The Mousetrap is like a giant version of the entries that we get in the Chain Reaction Contraption Contest that we host each year.  It invites kids and adults to dream big and embrace out-of-the-box thinking.”