Kingman Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1934 by Edward M. Brigham |
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| Location | 175 Limit Street, Battle Creek, Michigan |
| Founder | Edward M. Brigham |
| Public transit access |  BCT: 1 |
The Kingman Museum is a fantastic place to explore the natural world and the universe! It's a natural history museum and planetarium located in Battle Creek, Michigan. You can find it at 175 Limit Street, right inside the beautiful Leila Arboretum.
The museum's main goal is to help you understand and appreciate nature, space, and different human cultures. It's a great spot to learn something new and exciting!
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Discover the Kingman Museum
The Kingman Museum is filled with thousands of amazing items! Many of these are shown in special exhibits that are always there, plus new ones that change from time to time. Imagine all the cool things they have in storage too!
In 2007, the museum got help from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This help allowed them to carefully check and list every single item in their huge collection.
What You'll See at the Museum
When you visit Kingman Museum, you'll find many interesting displays. Some of the most popular parts include:
- Fossils and rocks: Learn about ancient life and how our Earth was formed.
- Animal displays: See incredible animals up close, thanks to taxidermy.
- Human development: Discover how humans grow and change.
- Native American tools and art: Explore the history and cultures of Native American people.
Rare Treasures and Unique Finds
The museum also has some very special and rare items. One amazing example is two specimens of the imperial woodpecker. This bird is critically endangered, meaning it's very close to disappearing forever.
Only about 120 of these woodpecker specimens exist in museums worldwide. Since no one has ever taken a photo or recorded the sound of a living imperial woodpecker, these museum specimens are super important. They are the only way scientists called ornithologists (who study birds) can learn about this unique species.
Explore the Universe in the Planetarium
In 2008, the Kingman Museum made its planetarium even more awesome! They added a special Digistar 3 fulldome projector system. This amazing system lets you feel like you're really flying through space or exploring distant planets.
It's a very advanced system, and the Kingman Museum is one of only 61 places in the world to have it! It's also the only one in southwest Michigan, making it a truly special experience.
Part of a Bigger Network
Kingman Museum is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers. This means it's connected to many other science and technology museums. If you have a membership to Kingman, you might even get to visit other museums in this network for free or at a discount!
