You've seen the hit television crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Now you and your kids can play the role of crime scene investigators, learning scientific principles and real investigative techniques as you try to solve a crime.  

First New York, then Miami. Now the hit CBS franchise is taking on the Twin Cities with a hands-on exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. In CSI: The Experience, the pressure is on you and your kids to collect every trace of evidence using forensic procedures, form a hypothesis, and solve the case. The cool part is that you won't have to do it alone. You'll have input from investigators from the TV show (how cool is that?!) and real-life forensic science experts.

The CSI exhibit will open from October 15 to January 4, 2009. There will be a limited number of  tickets available, so the museum strongly advises getting yours in advance.

Cool, rainy-day activity: Even if you can't make it to St. Paul, the SMM has put together an awesome, downloadable Family Guide with do-at-home experiments that let kids test their powers of observation, learn about fingerprints, and even experiment with blood splatter, using a recipe for fake blood (cue Halloween shenanigans). You can also play CSI investigator online at CSI: Web Adventures.