HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (KTHV) - The Mid-America Science Museum has been a staple of school trips for years, and an educational way to pass the time when staying in Spa City.
The museum released the following information about their new exhibits and what visitors can expect to see when they walk in:
The first gallery visitors see when entering the museum is The Marvelous Motion Gallery. A study of the basic concepts of physics, this gallery entices curiosity by exploring natural phenomena such as wave motion, kinetic energy and gravity.
The Oaklawn Foundation Digital Dome Theater offers a diverse array of shows that complement educational objectives as well as traveling exhibit content in the Museum. The theater seats up to 50 people and has full-dome projection-style films that will immerse the families and children with a 180-degree viewing area. Capable of projecting the night sky thanks to the digital software installed by Sky-Skan, the Oaklawn Foundation Digital Dome Theater will be a key component in promoting the study of space for children and adults.
Current programs in the Digital Dome will include "Back to the Moon For Good" an educational 25-minute full dome planetarium show that looks at the history of lunar exploration and also documents the Google Lunar XPRIZE, the largest incentivized competition to date, designed to democratize space and create new opportunities for eventual human and robotic presence on the Moon.
The other Digital Dome show currently available for exhibit is "Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope". This show delves into the history and creation of the telescope allowing audience members to learn about the discoveries of Galileo, Huygens, Newton, Hubble and many others. It also explains how telescopes work and how the largest observatories in the world use the instruments to explore the mysteries of the universe through exploring the Galilean Moons, Saturn's rings, the spiral structure of galaxies and more.
The Bob Wheeler Science Skywalk, sponsored by the Advertising and Promotion Commission of Hot Springs,offers a unique experience found nowhere else in the State. This outdoor exhibition extends into the forest canopy from the main building, offering visitors young and old an opportunity to experience a shift in perspective as they investigate science found in nature. A tree-house pavilion, rope netting and hands-on activities add to the adventure. This outdoor platform will be located 32 feet above ground offering a unique experience found nowhere else in the State. The aim of the Skywalk is to shift visitors' perspectives, leaving them more open to discovery, observation, and collaboration with each other. Several exhibits will complement the experience in the treetops as guests meander through the forest canopy.
Exhibits in Arkansas Underfoot allow visitors to investigate biology, geology and topography that is unique to Arkansas. Guests crawl through a realistic cave, use a "rock crusher" to learn about erosion, explore an interactive sandbox called "Rain & Terrain" and watch as beetles scavenge for food.
The Workshops provide a major new platform for the Museum to increase its emphasis discovery learning by utilizing core principles of structure, movement, control, and communication through individual work stations using common materials. The four workshops are based on specific topics in science. The "Animation Workshop" explores stop motion animation using computers, 16mm film and a variety of zoetropes. A ten-foot tall climbing structure anchors the "Rhythm and Patterns Workshop", where children and adults can learn how math is used in our daily lives. The "Force and Energy Workshop" uses a vintage steam engine, infrared imaging and a giant gravity tower to examine the relationship between force and energy. The "Fluid Motion Workshop" showcases a two-story interactive water tower that will engage all ages.
Aside from our showcase of brand new exhibits, you will see that we have also included the return of many of our most popular exhibits. Refurbished and interspersed throughout the entire museum, we value the exhibits and the memories attached to them by the many long time patrons of Mid-America. Other major renovated areas include the Mid-America entrance with new signage, the Creek Walk Café, the inner lobby, the Museum Store, as well as the Classroom and Tesla Theater. Building connections with the community and with generations of youth and adults since 1979 we are looking forward to a new beginning with our upcoming grand re-opening on March 7th.
History of Mid-America Science Museum:
Mid-America Science Museum was conceptualized as the first interactive, informal learning environment in Arkansas when the Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 515 establishing the Arkansas Museum and Cultural Commission in 1971. Composed of seven gubernatorial appointees from state congressional districts, the State Commission was responsible for planning, developing, constructing and operating the Mid-America Science Museum in Garland County.
In September 1974, the State Commission's initial staff opened temporary offices in the Medical Arts Building located in Hot Springs National Park. Here the first museum offices were established and original exhibit designs and development took place. The present 57,000 square foot facility was constructed in Mid-America Park on 21 beautiful wooded acres. The multi-million dollar facility is divided into two wings, connected by a glass-enclosed bridge that spans the outside stream. The museum was designed by museum architect E. Verner Johnson and Associates of Boston, MA and Stuck, Frier, Lane, Scott, Beisner of Little Rock and Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The Museum opened to the public on January 20, 1979. Sunday, April 22, 1979, was proclaimed "Mid America Day" by the mayor of Hot Springs as the Museum was dedicated by then Governor Bill Clinton in a Grand Opening Ceremony. The Museum was featured in the January 1980, issue of Southern Living magazine with four full color pages. It also received the "Henry Award" from the Governor's Conference on Tourism in 1982.
The Museum has been cited with many honors throughout its history. It was selected as the "Parent's Choice" award as the Best Museum for Families in 1995. The Museum was selected as the official Star Station One site for the state of Arkansas which was a national educational program about the International Space Station. The Museum continues to partner with NASA for its space education programming.
In November 2001, the Museum was selected as a Smithsonian Affiliate. It became the ninetieth museum in the nation to receive this honor and the first institution in Arkansas to have this prestigious recognition. In 2003 the Museum became a partner in a statewide network of Museums dedicated to inquiry learning, The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation'sArkansas Children's Museums Discovery Network.
The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism owned the Museum until June 2001, when the facility and property were deeded to the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission. In late 2004, the Museum began efforts to reorganize as a private 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. The Museum now operates with an independent Board of Directors.
The renewed MASM will offer stronger connections between science and the Museum visitors' everyday lives. With the expansion, the Museum will be able to strengthen its usefulness and appeal to visiting children, while offering expanded learning opportunities for teachers and surrounding school systems as well.
The Museum has not only focused on a renewed educational vision, but also capitalized on its reputation as a strong family tourist destination. With the creation of major new outdoor experiences and a significant renovation of the Museum's interior, Mid-America aims to create a more distinctive and memorable destination for visitors.
"It was obvious to our trustees that the Mid-America Museum Board and leadership staff made maximum benefit of their planning grant in preparing their capital grant application," stated Fred W. Smith, Chairman of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. "With the award of this capital grant they will be able to refresh their visitor experience, enhance their capability to promote informal discovery learning and continue as a strong member of the Donald W. Reynolds Arkansas Children's Discovery Center Network."
Mid-America's revised exhibits and programs will offer a range of learning opportunities for users from the casual to the committed. The idea is to engage families and children at their own levels of interest and move them to a deeper level of understanding through open-ended and highly engaging activities.
About Donald W. Reynolds Foundation:
The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, it has committed more than $40 million through its Children's Discovery Initiative.
