Last Chance to View The Mystery of the Mayan Medallion

The exhibit closes December 14.

Velociraptor fun!

One of the Museum's astute employees found this fun Web site. We couldn't wait until September (Velociraptor Awareness Month) to share it with you!

Top 10 Reasons I'm THANKFUL for being a Museum Member

TOP 10 REASONS IʼM THANKFUL TO BE A MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY MEMBER

By Kim Drake, Contributing Member

10. Wiggle Worms Discoveries each Wednesday at 10a.m....it is Gymboree on a budget!

9. Try before you buy...the block collection in the "Room to Grow" in" is awesome. My kids have spent 30 minutes playing with the magnet block several times.

8. Discount for the Museum Store. Perfect for holiday and birthday shopping.

7. Something new to discover every week. Right now my kidsʼ favorite thing to do is go to the Mayan exhibit and put their hands in where the puff of air is and it shows a picture of a spider.

6. As a contributing member, you can take visitors FREE. I like to use this feature when itʼs my turn to babysit for play dates or when we have out of town guests.

5. Free and convenient parking in the River Market garage just a block away. Get your ticket stamped at the door.

4. An easy after-school activity. More interesting (and healthier) than t.v. and video games.

3. A family membership pays for itself as few as TWO visits.

2. You can attend other museums for FREE! Hot Springs Mid-America Museum and others!

1. You can visit the museum no matter what the weather is. Too hot? Itʼs air-conditioned. Too cold? Heated. Raining and everyone is going stir crazy? Let off steam with engaging exhibits and events!

Museum of Discovery Awarded $9.2 Million Grant For Renovations

The Museum of Discovery was awarded a grant of $9.2 million by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to renovate and update its facilities and exhibits. The grant will allow the Museum to build a more visible accessible entrance directly on President Clinton Avenue and to create three new galleries.

While the footprint of the renovated Museum will not change, the square footage will increase to over 50,000. New exhibits will explore the physical sciences and math, the wonder of human life and global earth processes made relevant by their connection to the natural landscapes of Arkansas.

Museum leaders expect to start renovations at the current facility in late 2009. The Museum will be closed for several months for renovation.

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 is one of the largest private foundations in the United States.

ewwww, bugs!

Have you visited our Bug Zoo? What are your favorite bugs? Staff favorites include the tarantula and the prickly stick!

FREE treats and SPOOKY exhibits: Friday Oct 31 6-8:30 p.m.:

Join us for BIG BOOseum BASH!

Visit "Bernie's Basement" on the lower level...

Thanks to Mr. Joel, our Exhibits Man, for preparing this fun exhibit from the Museum's collections!

Halloween Fact: goosebumps

Ever wonder what causes "goosebumps"?

Goose bumps are produced when hairs stand up, like in this picture. The reflex is called piloerection, and it may have helped our hairier ancestors look larger when faced down by potential predators. Check out this article at the Scientific American's Web site. And for more thrills and chills, treats and activities, visit the Museum Oct 31 (Halloween) for BIG BOO-SEUM BASH! Call 501-396-7050 for more information.

Trick or Treat: Are your eyes playing tricks on you?

Notice the pattern on the carpet in the foreground of this photo. Then look at the reflection in the mirror in the background. Why is the reflection different than the actual carpet? Visit the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock's River Market to find out!

Girl Talk Back By Popular Demand

The response to last May's Girl Talk was so overwhelming that we decided to hold it again on September 6 and October 4.

Do you remember having “the talk” with your parents? Learning about the Birds & Bees can be especially difficult for girls. Changing bodies and puberty brings many questions. Some of the questions can be tough to answer. Girl Talk provides an open conversation designed for girls and their adult female caregivers. The program is $20 per female duo and space is limited. To make reservations, call Beth at (501) 396-7061.

Girl Talk has been so popular we also decided to give boys an chance to take advantage of this opportunity. Boy Talk will take place on December 6. Boy Talk provides an open conversation designed for boy and their adult male caregivers. You can call Beth at (501) 396-7061 for reservations.

Take advantage of these last days of summer at the museum

One of the coolest things about working here at the Museum of Discovery is that my children get to take advantage of many of the activities, such as summer camps. This summer, my daughter had a great time making crystals (see photo to the right) and baking cookies with aluminum foil, a pizza box, and the sun at Science Discoveries. My son learned slimy and stinky things about his body at Grossology, and even learned how to make his very own snotty, slimy concoction.

It was a summer of fun and educational summer camps, and even though they have ended the museum is continuing the summer schedule this week with animal shows at 11:30 and 2:00 and electric shows at 1:00 and 3:30. And don't forget, Room to Grow is now open for kids 6 and under.

Museum of Discovery

I began this blog in May 2008 with the goal of giving readers an “insider’s view” of the Museum. I have enjoyed sharing my view of the Museum and hope that you have learned something along the way. While the blog will continue, I am leaving my position at the Museum to join another great organization and will be turning the blog writing reigns over to our Arkansas Discovery Network marketing guru, Linda Meyers. Linda will continue to take readers on a behind-the-scenes tour giving a glimpse into the Museum’s exhibits, programs and special events.

Here’s one last piece of insider advice. There are two events that I am putting on my calendar and I would encourage you to do the same. Mayan Medallion, happening September 6 through December 14, and Uncorked: The Science of Wine on October 23. You can find out more about these events at www.amod.org. Mark your calendars now and who knows – maybe I’ll see you there!

Football: The Exhibit

If your family is anything like mine, our “football season countdown calendar” began the day after the Super Bowl. While football season is quickly approaching, why wait another day to enjoy the fun. Visit Football: The Exhibit, at the Museum, now through August 24.

Football: The Exhibit is full of interactives that let you experience the game. Angie, a fellow Museum employee, and I took a break and had some fun in the exhibit (one of the perks of the job!). There are several photo opportunities–see Angie posing as a very stout quarterback! The grip test proved too much us. Angie scored a “clown” rating while I scored a bit lower as a “butterfinger.” So, the grip test wasn’t our strong suit. Moving on.

Next, Angie decided to test her aim by tossing footballs through a target. Good form, great arm. A couple even made the mark. Good job!

Continuing, we watched a video on cheerleaders, learned the history of tailgating and tested our reaction times to sight and sound. One of the games even allows you to try out your running speed.

Football: The Exhibit definitely gets our approval, but try it out for yourself. It’s a great way to get over those “I wish it was football season” blues.

Museum of Discovery Featured on KARK Channel 4

The Museum of Discovery was featured on KARK’s morning show, KARK 4 Today. The show, which aired on Tuesday, July 22, featured KARK host, Tracy Douglass interviewing Museum Exhibit Director, Joel Gordon and local pediatrician, Jill Fussell. The focus was on the Museum’s newest exhibit, Room to Grow. Room to Grow is for ages 6 and under and has already been a huge hit among parents and kids. It is my favorite area in the Museum. There are bright murals with a lot of hidden areas for children to explore. If you have children 6 or under, I would recommend dropping by to check it out. Oh, and the forecast today looks like another hot one. The Museum’s air conditioning is working GREAT, so relax, cool off and discover what the Museum has to offer.

If you have an opinion, we want to hear it!

The Museum of Discovery has over 25,000 square feet of hands-on, educational exhibits. If you visit often, you will see that some of the exhibits are permanent, meaning they do not change often. So, to keep the Museum current and fresh, the Museum brings in traveling exhibits which change every 3-4 months. Right now we have Football (check it out if you haven’t already!). Traveling exhibits are important to our Museum visitors and we want to bring in quality exhbits. But, how do we what if the exhibits are interesting and fun? We ask YOU!

Visit the Museum of Discovery on July 22 or 23 and get the opportunity to weigh in on a new exhibit still in the design phase: Discovery Trail. You’ll get a preview of the exhibit before it is finished and have the opportunity to provide feedback about what is fun or what needs improvement. Follow the link below for more information!

arkansasdiscoverynetwork.blogspot.com/

Owl Pellets and Me

As the Director of Marketing, I get to do a lot of fun stuff for the Museum. I represent the Museum at events, write articles for local print publications and talk about upcoming events on TV. It’s the last one “talk about upcoming events on TV” that made me realize what a unique job I have.

Yesterday, I appeared on KARK’s noon show with Melissa Simas. I was there to promote our Science Discoveries camp and other summer camps we have through August. I brought owl pellets as an example of the “fun things” kids would do at our summer camps. After all, the Museum does say it’s a place for “hands-on learning” and what can be more hand’s on than getting up close to an owl pellet!

For those of you who don’t know about owl pellets, here’s the scoop. An owl pellet is “the mass of undigested parts of a bird's food that some bird species occasionally regurgitate.” You can find all kids of stuff in owl pellets like fur, hair and bones. You can also learn a lot from owl pellets like eating habits, health issue, etc.

So, back to me on Channel 4. During the break, I was dissecting the owl pellet and I came across a bone. It was like finding treasure! I was thoroughly excited about the bone. So, when we went live, I shared my excitement with the viewers. While some people probably thought I was a little crazy, I trust that some viewers saw the joy of finding a bone in an owl pellet…

OK, so all that to say, that I do a lot of fun stuff at the Museum. That includes dissecting owl pellets on live TV. Another fun thing I get to do: hang out with the visitors. It’s so cool to see the kids dissecting owl pellets as part of their class and see them get equally excited about finding a bone. See, I knew someone else shared my excitement!

Visit the Museum - Save on Parking

One of the biggest issues I hear from visitors deals with the parking situation in the River Market District. As an employee working in the River Market, I understand. I never have a problem finding a parking place at 8 am, but then again, no one visits the Museum at 8 am (we open at 9 am, Mon-Sat.). So, maybe there is a valid complaint about the lack of FREE parking. But, I have a solution. While I cannot say with absolute certainty that there will be FREE parking when you visit, I can tell you about special discount parking for Museum members and visitors.

Museum members and visitors who visit the Museum can now park at the River Market Parking Garage, located at 2nd and Commerce, at a reduced price. Museum members will be charged only $1.00 for parking up to three hours and visitors only $2.00 for up to three hours in the deck. That’s a great deal! Don’t forget to bring your parking ticket to the museum to get this special rate.

So, there’s no more driving around searching for free parking or running out every hour to feed the meter. Just park in the River Market Parking Garage.

Oh, and pass this information along. There are a lot of people who don’t know about the Museum’s special parking discount. It’s a great deal and I want to spread the word!

More about Room to Grow

In my last blog, I wrote about how much I LOVE Room to Grow. Now, I can prove it! My nephew (along with his family) just moved to the area. He made his first trip to the Museum of Discovery. We had lunch across the street at Flying Fish and then journeyed back to Room to Grow. He will be one soon, so Down on the Farm was a perfect area for him. He loved the textured carpet, mirrors and wooden blocks. He had his first trip down a slide (and how cool is a slide that looks like a carrot), he rode on the eggplant rocker and even made dinner in the log cabin kitchen. At home, he loves to open and close kitchen cabinets. Here, he could do that all day without the worries of getting into something he shouldn’t! His babysitter, aka Grandma, enjoyed the room too. She could relax knowing that he was in a safe place with lots of room to play. The Museum has always been a fabulous place for older kids and adults, but now it is the perfect place for even our youngest visitors!

Room to Grow Is Open!

There are many great things happening at the Museum, but my absolute favorite is Room to Grow. For those of you who don’t know, Room to Grow is a new area designed for children ages 6 and under. Just like the Museum, Room to Grow is hands-on and interactive, but made for our youngest visitors.

Room to Grow is permanent, so it will be around for a while! Kids can use their imagination to and sail the seas on a pirate ship or sell food in a fish market. The Castle Theatre lets kids (and their adult companions) sing karaoke songs like B-I-N-G-O, developing social skills and reading skills. The Lighthouse provides a birds-eye-view of the fun below. Down on the Farm is a special area for ages 4 and under. There are bright, textured carpets and even mirrors on their eye level. Perfect for that age!

The entire room area is painted with bright murals and hidden interactive components. It’s magnificent – a must see for anyone with children 6 and under! Room to Grow is having a grand opening through June, July and August so I hope you can visit.

See pictures from the MOD Squad Room to Grow party at www.flickr.com/photos/museumofdiscovery.

9th Annual Dino Dash & Discovery Fest a Success!

The Museum’s 9th annual Dino Dash & Discovery Fest was a success! We had 885 people register for the 5K and the 1K. That’s over 100 more from the previous years. We had 70 volunteers log almost 220 volunteer hours – and that was just for event day! The Dino Dash committee, led by Susan Estes and the MOD Squad worked for a year to make the event a huge success.

Personally, I love Dino Dash & Discovery Fest. The event takes a lot of hard work and very long hours, but it’s all worth it to see the kids and adults having such a great time. My favorite part is the 1K finish. Kids of all ages tear through the finish line as hordes of volunteers and parents cheer them on. I love giving the runners a medal and dino prize – their smiles are truly priceless.

The other cool part is the way dino dash encourages exercise and makes it a family event. I love hearing that dino dash is a first 5K or 1K for lots of people. I love that the Museum is promoting exercise for the entire family.

As the 2008 Dino Dash coordinator, I had lots of help. There were a ton of wonderful volunteers and Museum staff that went above and beyond. Thanks Steve for keeping the cement trucks at bay, Jeff for helping out on-air and of course Susan for making all the decisions!

And, we’re looking ahead to 2009. It will be the 10th annual Dino Dash & Discovery Fest. The wheels are already turning….

Oh, and if you want to see lots of Dino Dash & Discovery Fest pictures, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/museumofdiscovery

Let's Talk

Guess what has the staff at the Museum “talking.” It’s our new program “Girl Talk.” The class is happening this Saturday, May 17. Here’s the info from our website:

“Girls have lots of questions when it comes to their changing bodies and puberty and some of those questions can be tough to answer. Girl Talk will encourage an open conversation to break down barriers. Through questions, games and stories, female duos will learn about the often-scary changes that happen to a developing body. Janet Cathey M.D., will provide expert advice on the female body. Girl Talk will be held from 2 – 4:30 p.m. and is open to girls and their adult female caregivers. The program is $20 per pair. For more information, call (501) 396-7061."

I personally am very excited about Girl Talk. We are going to have a very open discussion about puberty. I think it will create necessary dialogue between girls and their “female caregivers.” And, that’s something else that is really neat. Some girls, for whatever reason, do not have a mother in their lives. Girl Talk is open to girls and their adult female caregivers – foster moms, aunts, adult sisters, etc.

The response to Girl Talk has been overwhelming. We are sold out and hope to offer another Girl Talk class soon. We continue to get a lot of calls and positive response from the community.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the picture. I walked into our offices and saw these mannequin legs sticking straight up in the air and I had to take a picture. They will be used at Girl Talk to show the proper way to shave your legs.

Robot Rodeo rides OUT of town

Our newest exhibit, Robot Rodeo, is permanently closed. The overall concept of the exhibit was intriguing, but the exhibit didn’t meet our standards for a hands-on, interactive experience for the visitors.

In its place, the Museum will open Football on May 26. Football is a fun exhibit that shows visitors the science and technology behind the game of football. It came to the Museum a few years ago and was very popular with visitors. I’ll post a virtual tour of football once it is set up.

Robot Rodeo rides into town!

The rodeo is in town. No, not your typical rodeo, but the Robot Rodeo! The exhibit opens on May 1, but I got a chance to preview it earlier today (I have connections, you know). The exhibit stays true to the Museum’s idea of hands-on, interactive exhibits. It is definitely hands-on. I controlled several kinds of robots – even one on the surface of Mars (or the exhibit’s idea of Mars). Robot Rodeo is educational too. I learned what a robot is and what a robot isn’t. You’ll have to visit to find out! Robot Rodeo is technical, but not so much that most kids and adults won’t have fun. Robots seem to fascinate all ages. Overall, I think the exhibit is very interesting. I can’t wait to see the public’s response.

ROBOT RODEO HAS CLSOED. SEE UPDATE ABOVE.

Welcome

Welcome to the Museum of Discovery's new blog. This blog will keep you up to date on all the cool stuff coming up at the Museum and give you a "behind the scenes" look at our exhibits and events.