Last week we headed north to St. Paul Minnesota, to visit the Science Museum of Minnesota, probably the premier institution in the country creating and developing interactive children's exhibitions. They're coming to visit us next week to do a workshop to help push our thinking forward and get us to our next charter stage.
We started off at the Minnesota History Center, part of the Minnesota Historical Society. There are many ties -- staff and exhibitions -- between the two institutions, so this was a terrific place to start.
We pose by the oversize postcard, Mark, Kathy, me and Eric.
This is a replica Jenny, the plane flown by Charles Lindbergh, who was from Minnesota. It's a beautiful bright space right in the center.
One thing the history center does exceedingly well is immersive theaters. This one tells the story of a tornado, and you really can lose yourself in it and feel like you are there in that basement.
These two tell of a paratrooper unit in WWII. Honestly, when we crash landed, I was waiting for the final lurch as we hit the ground, and my colleague Mark felt the need to double-check with us all that we weren't spinning during the show. Yes, it was that amazing!
These images come from an exhibit called "One House," which tells the story of a single building and the numerous families that lived there through the years, nearly all of them immigrant families. It is a fantastic example of touchable history and visitor-directed experiences.
They also have a fun exhibit of 150 things that make Minnesota great. I've never seen an old Burma Shave sign along the highway, but I loved this one in the museum.
We spent nearly the entire next day at the Science Museum. Our hosts were phenomenal and incredibly giving of their time. And it is truly an inspiring place!!
The first part is about the Mississippi River. There is a small section on wild ricing, and this part features my friend Gerald, from the Leech Lake community. We worked with him and the community for the web project I used to run.
This is what happens when you let enthusiastic museum adults loose in a children's museum -- we all stop and talk and explore...... Mark (NMAI), Bette (SMM), Eric (NMAI), Mark (SMM), and Joanne (SMM).
And just when they thought we could get out of this gallery and on to the next one.... I looked left and saw them. Yes, cranes. So something else took over, and my mouth said "CRANES!" and my legs took me left, and my colleague Eric said, "Uh oh, we have a runner." He then took this photo to remember the crazy moment.
Part of making good exhibitions is trying things and seeing what works and what doesn't. This is a very very very early model (it's constructed of cardboard and velcro, with a real sink though) for a forthcoming exhibit about early learning. Very cool stuff.
My science geek was captivated by this little photo show.
There is a very large Hmong community in the Twin Cities, and so, an exhibition on Hmong culture centered around a Hmong house, at the museum.
One great example of kid-friendly styling.
Science labs galore, and lots of attention by visitors.
These are cool. The museum does a lot of great work using current events and getting people to understand that science is fun. This big globe serves as a monitor or screen for a variety of shows and data presentations.
Fish! I knew I'd find them somewhere.....
And what's a science museum without some dinosaurs? This is a great model where kids can learn about bones and skeletons and structure.
There was more, of course, but we certainly didn't have nearly enough time. However, this is likely just the start of a wonderful partnership and hopefully of some great friendships. Next: Chicago.
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