Museum Vist Two

Last week we scored another trip to our local museum! In February we went because Viva was delivering Girl Scout cookies downtown. In March we went because the children's Mac computer got sick. Kara had to take it in to the Apple Store. The Apple Store is in the downtown mall just two blocks from the museum, so I talked her into letting us go with her. I took the four older children to the museum while she and Evan went to the mall.

As always, visiting downtown was an adventure. We were running late, so instead of Kara dropping us off at the museum, we dropped her off at the mall. We parked in the passenger unloading zone and she got the stroller out while I unbuckled Evan. Turns out when she loaded the stroller in the back of the van, she left behind on the garage floor one of the four sets of double wheels. (She doesn't use this stroller very often, so she doesn't know to double check for that problem.) Since she had to take the Mac computer as well as the baby, she had to use the gimpy stroller. It worked, but it was definitely handi-capped.

We got rid of them and I drove around the block just in time to get stuck for fifteen minutes in a traffic jam because of a protest march. Our city isn't much given to protest marches, so this was unusual. We finally were able to continue on our way to the musuem. I found parking, but then the parking meter wasn't working correctly. A nice lady helped me out and we were finally able to get into the museum.

We stashed our coats and the children headed for the Imaginarium Science Center. After one minute there I yanked them out when I remembered that I had promised myself that the next time we were at the museum we'd start upstairs with the art and cultural exhibits. We went upstairs and checked out the local children's artwork that lined the hall walls. There was some nice artwork done in many different mediums.

Next we went into the cultural exhibits. There are a number of small scale dioramas that depict native life around Alaska. The problem is that the exhibits are adult height, so my young grandchildren had a hard time viewing them. Fortunately not all the exhibits are small scale, many are full size, so the children could better enjoy them. 

We viewed half of the cultural and historical exhibits about Alaska. The children enjoyed them somewhat, but they were focused on getting back downstairs and playing in the Imaginarium. I tried to get them to slow down and examine the exhibits, but this part of the museum isn't set up for younger children. After cursorily looking at the exhibits in the first half of the room, I allowed them to escape downstairs. I tried! I'll keep trying, but honestly I too prefer the science center to the history section of the museum.


The museum had very low attendance. We had the science rooms to ourselves most of the time. There was a class full of children on a field trip when we first arrived, but they soon left.

The Children's Artwork Gallery 

One of the Imaginarium experiments operated from the second floor. 

It took the children a few guesses to identify what the fish drying rack was.

We finished the cultural exhibits. They moved too fast for me to get another photo!

On the way back downstairs Viva requested a photo of her favorite artwork. 

Jake had to stop and play with the magnets. 

We own a great magnetic building set, but not this one! 

I asked Jake to demonstrate how the pressure floor works. 

Lincoln kept trying to push Jake off the floor.

Bentley showed Lincoln how to get off the bubble island. 

He's very patient with Lincoln. 

The bubblemeister once again demonstrated her superior skills. 

Bentley figured out on his own how to make the hot air balloon rise. (HOT air!)

The rotating disk table was a big hit as usual.

Lincoln really liked the black and purple balls.

Is that because we don't have those colors at home? 

Up, up...but not too far. 

Bentley asked for my help because Lincoln is heavy!

I have no idea what this exhibit is about. I will read the placards next time.

Jake and I built houses at the earthquake table. 

My structure withstood a Class E earthquake, but Jake's fell.

The children wanted to stay, but Kara and Evan were finished trying on clothes at JCPenney. Evan was hungry. His mom left his bottle in the van. OOPS!

When we got back to the van we had one minute left on the parking meter! We had a really good visit at the museum--even if I did torture the children by making them view some cultural exhibits.