Museum of Arts and Sciences (Macon, Georgia) facts for kids
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Main Entrance in June 2019
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| Established | 1956 |
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| Location | 4182 Forsyth Road |
| Type | Art, Science |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon, Georgia, is a super cool place for families! It's a community museum where you can explore both art and science. Imagine a place with four art galleries, a special Discovery House for hands-on fun, and even live animals! You can also visit the Mark Smith Planetarium, walk a nature trail, and explore a garden. The museum often changes its exhibits, so there's always something new to see. These new shows cover fine arts, science, and the humanities. They usually stay for four to six months. The museum is open every day and has special programs for schools and groups. It's a member of the American Alliance of Museums.
Contents
Museum History
The Museum of Arts and Sciences first opened its doors in 1956. It started small, just one room at the Wesleyan Conservatory. There were only a few activities for children back then. In 1964, the museum moved to a new spot. This new place had a gallery and a workshop. Just one year later, in 1965, a planetarium was added. It became a brand new part of the museum.
A big addition happened in 1980. This brought most of the museum's main buildings. In 2001, the fun Discovery House was added. A new lobby and more classrooms also opened. In 2018, another building was built. This one gives you a great view of the peach orchard nearby. More exciting plans were approved in 2019. These include a bat cave and an outdoor theater.
What to Explore
Art Gallery
The Museum of Arts and Sciences has an amazing art gallery. It shows a mix of art that's always there and art that visits for a short time. The gallery usually has three parts. One part is for the art that stays. The other two parts show special visiting exhibits. Some past exhibits have featured famous artists. These include Fired by Genius: The Ceramics of Pablo Picasso. Others were Sunlight and Shadow: American Impressionism and The Art of Tiffany.
Mark Smith Planetarium
The Mark Smith Planetarium is like a giant movie theater for stars! It was built in 1965. You can find it near the museum's main entrance. The planetarium shows movies about space and stars. There are two shows every day. The topics change every two months, so you can learn about different parts of space.
Besides movies, the planetarium can show you a virtual sky. It can display over 4,000 stars! The big dome is about 12.2 meters wide. Up to 118 people can sit and watch the shows.
Mini-Zoo
The Mini-Zoo is a special part of the museum. It's where you can see live animals! You'll find it to the left of the Discovery House. The zoo has been home to many different animals. These include monkeys, colorful birds, snakes, and even an alligator.
The Mini-Zoo is designed to feel like a jungle. It has two levels, so you can view the animals from different spots. Sometimes, the animals even join in on shows! These shows happen in the museum's auditorium. Animal caregivers from the museum lead them.
Discovery House
The Discovery House is the biggest exhibit in the museum. It has three floors of fun! Before you go inside, you'll see a large statue. It's called Gesturing Woman by artist Viola Frey. Each floor in the Discovery House focuses on a different topic.
The top floor is all about visual art. Here, kids can get creative! You can make your own art with paper dolls. There's also a cool light box to play with. The middle floor focuses on the humanities. This means learning about the world and people. You can try writing poetry or explore a map room. The bottom floor is for science lovers! You can dig for fossils. There are also simple experiments about weather and magnetism. This section also has "Ziggy." Ziggy is a 40-million-year-old whale fossil! You can also see a taxidermy adult polar bear.
Outdoor Spaces
The museum grounds have lots of outdoor areas to explore. There's an amphitheater for performances. You can also find a pavilion, a raptor retreat, and a bat cave. Plus, there are walking trails where you can enjoy nature.
