This study explored and enhanced family collaboration and learning at the Chicago Children's Museum. To increase caregiver-child collaboration and child learning, we manipulated the information families received prior to their entry into the Under Construction exhibit. A total of 77 participating parent-child dyads with children in the 5- to 7-year old age range were randomly assigned to one of three preparatory activities. The Instruction group was provided with instructions and practice in how to build strong structures using triangle shapes. In addition they were prompted to engage in conversations while in the exhibit that involved open-ended questions and associations. The Modeling group viewed models of strong structures, and a video illustrating adult-child dyads engaged in elaborative conversations, but did not receive explicit instruction about triangles or types of talk. The control group participated in a simple "draw and describe where you live" task prior to entry into exhibit, and was asked to interact as they naturally would during the building activity. Video and audio records of the dyads' interactions in the exhibit were analyzed for differences in the quality of the conversational interactions and the structures they built as a function of experimental group. Children's learning was assessed through their verbal contributions during a "reunion conversation" in which they were questioned by a second adult member of the visitor group (who did not participate in the building activities) about what they learned and did in the exhibit. Children's performance was also assessed on a 6-item picture task in which they had to select from pairs of photographs which one represented the stronger building structure (e.g., the structures that contained frames with triangles). Caregivers and children in the Instruction group produced more sophisticated structures (as evidenced by their increased use of frames and triangles) and engaged in more in-depth, reciprocal conversations as they worked in the exhibit than dyads in either of the other two groups. In addition, children in the Instruction group demonstrated superior performance on the picture task. Overall, the results lend support for the effectiveness of preparatory activities in increasing what children learn during a novel event.