Smither Park lead designer Dan Philips, notorious for his whimsical and other-worldly structures, wanted to design an interactive element for the park that could both provide entertainment while also educating. He created the Johnson Marble Roll Tower to be a large-scale Rube Goldberg machine, set off by a hand crank that elevates the marble to the top of the maze. Once let free, the marble twists and turns through a series of mazes before ultimately landing back at the base.