Pratt Museum facts for kids
The Pratt Museum is a cool natural history museum in Homer, Alaska. It helps you explore life around Kachemak Bay in South Central Alaska. The museum's main goal is to keep "the stories of the Kachemak Bay region" alive. It does this through its collections, exhibits, and fun programs about culture, science, and art. Inside, you can see displays about early settlers, Native Alaskan traditions, local art, and the amazing plants and animals of Kachemak Bay. Outside, there's an old cabin, beautiful gardens, and a nature trail.
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How the Museum Started
The Pratt Museum began with a group called the Homer Society of Natural History. This group officially started in 1965. The museum itself opened its doors in 1968. The building was designed by a company from Anchorage.
A local artist named Sam Pratt had many interesting items. These items helped inspire the creation of the society. Hazel Heath was also very important. She was the treasurer of the society for many years, from 1968 to 1983. She was also the mayor of Homer from 1968 to 1976. Many people say she helped found the museum, which opened in 1968.
Sam Pratt and his wife Vega were very generous. They gave the land where the museum was built. Sam Pratt even became the museum's first volunteer curator, helping to organize everything.
What You Can Explore
The main exhibit at the Pratt Museum is called Kachemak Bay: An Exploration of People & Place. This exhibit helps you learn about the different cultures that have lived in Kachemak Bay. It also shows what life is like there today. You can see displays about early Native Alaskans and settlers from the 1930s and 1940s. It also covers the fishing industry that supports towns like Homer, Kachemak City, Seldovia, and other villages around the Bay.
See Live Seabirds
One of the most exciting things to see is a live camera feed. This camera shows seabirds like puffins, cormorants, and murres on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay. You can control the camera yourself using a touchscreen at the museum! This "SeeBird Camera" is also available online during the summer. However, only museum visitors can control it.
Fun Activities and Gardens
The museum also has many hands-on activities. You can even feed fish on Tuesdays and Fridays! During the summer, you can take tours of the harbor on the Homer Spit on Fridays and Saturdays.
As of 2021, the Pratt Museum has made its Botanical Garden even better. It now has over 150 different plants that grow naturally in the area. There's also a small Homestead Garden. This garden shows plants that were important to farmers and settlers on the Kenai Peninsula long ago and still are today.
Future Plans for the Museum
The Pratt Museum is planning to build a new facility on its property. This new building will have more space for exhibits. It will also have more room to store all the museum's important collections. The new building will be all on one level, which means no stairs or elevators are needed. It will also be more efficient than the current building. The museum's Board of Directors decided to support building a new museum. They started designing it in 2010.
