You're right on with this, Andy.
We live right across the street from the Musuem of Science and Industry
(MOSI), here in Tampa. What a major dissapointment this place is. All displays
seem childish or are clearly directed at children, with that "touchy feely"
type of exhibits, if you can call them that. I was hoping for something like
the MOSI in Chicago, now that, is a museum.
Even my 12 year old is bored with this MOSI, and calls it cheesy. And museums
are right up his alley. I am 100% for getting the kids interest going in
museums, what happened to the kids' centers?  I can see their boredom in
Chicago's MOSI. But my son really opened up there, when he could imagine what
I was explaining what things were, instead of a cheesy video narrated by a
cartoon image explaining it. Then the video takes place of their imaginations!
Plus, if you have disinterested parents, seeing the same childish stuff over
and over, how enthused are they going to seem to their children over exhibits?
Saying "Yeah, Johnny, here we go. Oh wow. Uh huh. Neato.  Ready for some ice
cream? Lets get outa here and hit Dairy Queen on the way home." The number one
attraction here is the "hurricane room," where you sit in a little room with a
big fan that simulates hurricane force winds. Sponges fly around like
"debris." And there is a line for this!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!