Hi Maria!
NYC has lots of museum-based interactive exhibits....
* The American Museum of Natural History has an extensive installations
related to "Human Evolution and Biology"
* The New York Hall of Science always has several kid-oriented
interactive exhibits (I have not been there for a while).
* The Liberty Science Center has "softer" interactive exhibits
(ex: they hosted a "Virtual Hoops" basketball game).
* The Museum of Modern Art has a stunning installation by a French
artist (I forget his name... Luc C---?) where a visitor can have
a "conversation" with a video character. The installation is housed
in a steel kiosk, the monitors hang facing the ground and the image
is projected on a sheet of clear glass situated at eye level. The
effect is that the characters seems to float before you...
I am sure there are many more examples. If you would like, I would be
glad to give you a tour of my department at New York University -
Interactive Telecommunications at Tisch School of the Arts. The program
is dedicated to multimedia development. I worked on a project this summer
that involved developing computer tools for art conservators. E-mail
me when you will be in town...
Susan Jacobson