Roswell Museum facts for kids
 |
|
| Former name | Roswell Museum and Art Center |
|---|---|
| Established | 1936 |
| Location | 1011 N. Richardson Avenue, Roswell, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Type | Municipal museum |
| Key holdings | Robert H. Goddard |
| Collections | Visual art collection, education center, planetarium |
| Owner | City of Roswell |
The Roswell Museum is a cool place to explore art and history in Roswell, New Mexico. It started way back in 1936 and was once known as the Roswell Museum and Art Center.
This museum shows off amazing art and tells stories about the history of the American Southwest. It also has a special area dedicated to the laboratory of Robert H. Goddard, a famous rocket scientist!
The museum also has two awesome learning spots: the Patricia Lubben Bassett Art Education Center and the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium. These places help visitors learn even more about art, science, and the world around them.
Contents
What is the Art Education Center?
The Patricia Lubben Bassett Art Education Center opened in 1998. It's a place where people of all ages can get creative!
This center has two classrooms, a ceramics studio, and a research library. It helps connect the museum with schools and the community. This way, everyone can enjoy and learn through art.
What can you see at the Planetarium?
The Robert H. Goddard Planetarium was built in 1968. The museum and the Roswell Independent School District worked together to create it.
It used to be the biggest planetarium in New Mexico! This special theater can show you what the night sky looks like from anywhere on Earth. It uses a super modern digital system called Digistar 6 to bring the stars to life!
History of the Museum
The Roswell Museum started in 1936. It received money from New Mexico's Works Progress Administration (WPA). The goal was to keep important items from southeastern New Mexico safe. It also served as a community center.
The museum officially opened on December 10, 1937. It was one of many cultural places created by the WPA during the Great Depression. Early exhibits showed old items from the region. There were also paintings by famous artists like Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth.
In 1941, the City of Roswell took over the museum. This happened after the WPA changed how it worked. The museum has been recognized by the American Alliance of Museums since 1978. This means it meets high standards for museums.
What Collections and Galleries Does the Museum Have?
The Roswell Museum has two main types of collections. These are a historical collection and a visual art collection.
The historical collection includes items from the American West. It also features Native American art and Spanish colonial items. A cool part is the collection about liquid-propellant rockets!
The visual art collection has many different styles. You can see art from the region and modernist works. There are also 20th-century artworks and Southwestern Art. The museum also has works by Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth.
The Goddard Galleries: Rockets and Space!
Esther Goddard gave the museum a very important collection. It includes Dr. Robert H. Goddard's research on liquid-fuel rockets. He was a pioneer in rocket science!
In 1959, the museum added a new section just for Goddard. It even has a copy of his laboratory! Goddard's rocket tower now stands in the museum's courtyard. This exhibit also has a real Moon rock. It was given by Harrison Schmitt from the 1972 Apollo 17 Mission!
Rogers Aston Gallery: Western Art
In 1980, the museum received a gift of western art and historical items. These were donated by Rogers and Mary Ellen Aston. Because of this generous gift, a new area was opened. It is called the Rogers Aston Gallery of American Indian and Western Art.
See also
- Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art
- Roswell Artist-in-Residence Compound
