February 22, 2011

Day at the Museum

Recently I found a great children's museum in a neighboring city.  It's about an hour away if you take the correct exit off the expressway.  If, like me, you take the first exit instead of the second, the museum is two hours and a very interesting drive through the ugliest downtown ever.  The building and its campus clearly represent a gentrification project--I certainly wouldn't hang out in this particular neighborhood after dark.

I'm excited to find this new educational destination for the boys.  Next time I will bring lunch and plan to spend the entire day.  We spent 2 1/2 hours and left one floor of the children's museum undiscovered.  On the same campus there is a natural history museum. I really want us to explore that as well.
Admission is pricey but not nearly as much as the cost of the museums in the City.  Those prices are in the double digits for a single ticket.  On top of that, parking in a nearby garage would be about $25.  All three of us were able to enjoy this day for under twenty dollars.  But let's face it:  Discovery Museum,  you had me at free parking.

We toured the hands-on exhibits on a holiday so of course the museum was crowded.  Still, I can't believe how many school age children just walk up to an interactive exhibit and grab the controls while one of my little boys is playing.  Seriously?  They're little, not invisible.  I really wanted to say something.  I'm not sure if it would be my teacher voice or my mama voice but, boy, was I tempted to give those kids a piece of my mind.

I took at least 40 photos that afternoon.  There was just so much I wanted to remember.  Afterwards, I brought the boys to one of my favorite sit down restaurants and later, we finished the day with ice cream sundaes at McDonalds.

the first exhibit:  pendulums.  The boys could have stayed right here all day






watching honey bees in action


 


got milk?
 
making a corn husk doll

some kind of pneumatic tube thing-y; both boys loved it!

Exhausted, Henry manages to enjoy one more exhibit

5 comments:

  1. Looks like a great way to spend the day! Great pictures. I can never get good pictures of Sam at the museum because he moves too fast. :)

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  2. What a great place! The boys look so engaged in all the exhibits. & who can beat free parking!!

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  3. What a great deal! Looks like a good time was had by all.

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  4. Oh Lara!! It looks like the boys had the most amazing time!! And that museum looks like it is fabulous. I love how intent and focused they are on all that they are discovering all that there is to be found!! I want to squeeze Tate in there between them to enjoy it with them!!!!!

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  5. It looks like a fantastic day for you and the boys! If this is the museum I think it is, I've also incorrectly driven around there and it was creepy!

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