Maine Discovery Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2001 |
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| Location | 74 Main Street Bangor, Maine, United States |
The Maine Discovery Museum in Bangor, Maine, is a super fun place for kids! It's the biggest children's museum in Maine and the largest one north of Boston, Massachusetts. This museum is packed with exciting, hands-on exhibits spread across three floors. It's a great spot to learn new things and explore with your family and friends.
The museum first opened its doors in 2001. Before it opened, people worked for several years to plan it and raise money. It's located in an old department store building that was changed into this amazing museum. The Maine Discovery Museum is also part of the Association of Children's Museums, which connects children's museums around the world.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The idea for the Maine Discovery Museum started in 1996. Many people worked hard to make this dream come true. When it opened in 2001, it was a huge success. Back then, it was the biggest children's museum in New England outside of Boston.
The museum has three floors filled with interactive exhibits. One cool exhibit is called NANO. It teaches you about nanoscience, which is the study of super tiny things. You can explore how tiny particles work and how they are used in real life. The museum received this special NANO exhibit because of its great work in science education.
In 2012, the Maine Discovery Museum celebrated ten years of being open. The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce even named it the "Nonprofit of the Year." That same year, the museum was chosen to lead the city's big Independence Day Parade!
Moving and Staying Healthy
The Maine Discovery Museum is part of the "Let's Move!" program. This program was started by former First Lady Michelle Obama. It helps kids stay active and make healthy choices.
To support this idea, the museum changed its snack options. Now, you can find natural and organic snacks in the vending machines. They even have gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan choices. Many of the museum's exhibits also encourage you to move your body. They help you use both big movements (like running) and small movements (like picking things up).
Exploring the Museum Floors
The Maine Discovery Museum has three exciting floors, each with different adventures!
First Floor Fun
- Reptile Room: Get up close with cool reptiles like Ball Pythons, Bearded Dragons, and Leopard Geckos.
- Nature Trails: Explore an indoor river and nature paths. You can even crawl through a life-size beaver dam and climb inside a two-story tree house!
- Gift Shop: Find souvenirs and fun items to remember your visit.
- Front Desk: This is where you start your adventure!
Second Floor Adventures
- Booktown: Relax in the Good Night Moon room and listen to stories. You can also see a vintage motorcycle, a Vespa scooter, and put on a puppet show. There's even a play farm!
- Tradewinds: Pretend you're a chef in the play kitchen or make music with different instruments. Explore a giant world map on the floor and load cargo onto a play ship with a crane.
- Party Rooms: These rooms are perfect for birthday parties and special events.
- Snack Room: A place to enjoy your healthy snacks.
Third Floor Discoveries
- Sun, Earth, Universe: Design and build your own rocket ship! Learn about space, and even decode secret messages using UV light and magnets.
- Artscape: Get creative here! Design a colorful Light-Bright display, build structures with PVC pipes, and even learn how to make paper.
- Pet Vet: Become a veterinarian for a day! Take care of stuffed animals like Pedro, Digger, and Tab.E.Cat. This area has a doctor's desk, an exam table, and vet equipment. It's part of the "Doctors Office" exhibit too.
- Dino Dig: Dig for fossils and learn about dinosaurs. You can even find and hatch dinosaur eggs! Discover what different dinosaurs ate.
- Doctors Office: Play as a patient or a doctor in this area. You can even walk through explorable human body parts to see how they work. There's also a giant set of teeth to practice brushing!
