"It's really fun and interactive," said Chabot spokeswoman Judyth Collin. "There's tons of things to do and reflect on."

The exhibit goes far beyond the usual funhouse mirrors. There are those, too, but it also includes mirrors that will zoom in and out on the subject, an exhibit that allows users to make a kaleidoscope, an "infinite cube" to crawl through and a time-delayed camera installation that Collin called "psychedelic."

She said that parents who came with their children over the weekend had just as much fun.

The exhibit, titled, "Mirror, Mirror," came over from Technorama, a famous science museum in Switzerland. After its time in Oakland, the mirrors are headed to Finland.

It was quite a task getting all the equipment in, Collin said. At one point, a forklift carrying one of the crates got stuck in mud, blocking part of the parking lot.

"There were a lot of logistics to work out," she said.

As much fun as the exhibit is, there's also an educational aspect.

"The exhibit combines the aesthetic appeal of mirrors with the science of optics," said programs manager Claire Pillsbury in a press release. "There is a natural connection with astronomy; telescopes use mirrors to collect and focus light for our observations of distant regions in outer space . . . (The exhibit) is an informal method of learning and experimenting with optics."

In addition, works from mirror artists will be on display. Artists include Don Doak and James Seawright from the United States; Caspar Schwabe from Switzerland; multimedia artist Bill Spinhoven from the Netherlands; and Christian Megert from Germany.

Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland, CA
(510) 336-7300
www.chabotspace.org