He created Microsoft and he has a ton of money.
“That’s all I know about Bill Gates,” said my 13-year-old grandson, Parker, on a recent visit from Arizona.
That was before we went to the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center in Seattle. An hour later, he was rich in knowledge.
Parker wanted to go to the EMP Museum and I figured while we are there, why not check out the Gates center? It’s right across the street and gets lots of buzz.
DisneyWorld this isn’t.
This is GatesWorld. And it’s YourWorld.
Admission is free. There isn’t a gift shop or cafe. Visitors aren’t hit up for money.
Instead, you’re encouraged to donate your time to a cause or money to a charity directly. The Gates center showcases issues near and far. There are interactive displays about poverty, food production, disease and education.
Find your passion and pursue it.
“We hope that our visitors gain a better sense of some big problems facing some of the world’s poorest, while at the same time see themselves as participants in the solutions to these and other problems facing local and global communities,” said Charlotte Beall, visitor center deputy director.
The center opened in 2012. Chances are you’ve walked or driven by it many times and not even noticed it or the “Come Curious, Leave Inspired” motto written on small red flags outside the building. It’s in the shadow of the Space Needle and down the street from Ride the Ducks and Seattle Center attractions that lure tourists.
The galleries in the center’s light-filled, wood-clad interior offer plenty of hands-on fun. Turn large wooden rollers, spin a globe, push levers, type on keyboards.
In the Innovation &Inspiration Gallery, share what your foundation would do and read ideas from others.
In the Family &Foundation Gallery, spin a panel on the timeline to see Bill Gates as a happy tot in Seattle in 1955. Another panel shows a baby photo of his philanthropic dad, William Sr., in Bremerton. Others tell the story of Melinda and foundation members.
Everything about the center is nifty. I was fascinated by the bathroom stall doors sporting images of rustic latrines used in developing nations.
My tool-obsessed husband, Max, was awed by the clever innovations.
“I like the disaster emergency kits that come in a box,” Max said. “And the foot-operated pumps for farmers to water and the ice coolers for medicines in areas without electrical power.”
Parker stayed entertained the entire hour we were there.
We made a “Together we can” sign with words about how we could change the world, posed for a selfie and then a photo of us appeared on the wall. Just like that, we were part of the exhibit. I got excited. Parker contained his excitement. After all, he is a teenager.
We lifted 16-pound weighted buckets that simulated what people in some parts of the world do every day for drinking water. I could barely raise it off the floor. Big strong Max even winced a bit.
On the floor are footsteps to remind you that many families walk several miles for water. Remember that the next time you complain about getting off the couch to walk to the kitchen for a drink.
Parker will remember. “This sounds cliche but it made me feel I have so much to be thankful for,” he said. “I take it for granted and seeing what other children go through to survive, I’m lucky I don’t have to do it.”
Parker gave the visitor center the thumb’s up.
“It was a cool experience,” he said. “Bill and Melinda made foundations to help make the world better. If I had that money, I would probably be using it for greed. For myself, not necessarily other people.”
He was being humble, of course. I know if he had billions he’d buy video games, for sure, get his grandma something special, then share the rest.
As an online reviewer wrote: “This museum helps philanthropy be part of your operating system.”
Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
If you go
Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center, 440 Fifth Avenue North, Seattle; 206-709-3100; www.gatesfoundation.org/Visitor-Center.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Public tours are 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturday. Advance registration is not required. Private guided tours are available.
Admission: Free.
Upcoming event: Educator Social: Teacher Appreciation Night, 4:30 p.m. May 19.
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