Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum facts for kids
| Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke | |
The Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum is located within a former factory
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| Established | 2002 |
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| Location | 225, rue Frontenac Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 1K1 |
| Type | Natural history museum and Science museum |
| Collection size | 65,000 |
| Visitors | 40,000 (2011) |
The Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum (also known as the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke in French) is a super cool place in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. It's a museum where you can learn all about nature and science! You can find it at 225 Frontenac Street, right in the heart of downtown Sherbrooke.
This museum gets help from different places to keep running. The City of Sherbrooke gives money, and so do parts of the Canadian and Quebec governments. They also get support from companies, special grants, and private donations. This helps them create awesome exhibits for everyone to enjoy!
Contents
A Journey Through Time: Museum's History
The story of this museum began a long time ago, back in 1879. It first opened as the Musée du Séminaire de Sherbrooke inside the Séminaire de Sherbrooke building. At that time, it was a place where people could see many different natural science objects and specimens.
Then, in the fall of 2002, something big happened! The museum went through a huge change. It moved to a new, much larger home: the Julius-Kayser Building. This building used to be a factory that made clothes, and it's really big, about 5,000 square meters! This move gave the museum lots of space for new and exciting exhibits.
What You Can Explore: Collections and Exhibits
The Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum has an amazing collection of over 65,000 objects and specimens! These items show how diverse and wonderful nature is, not just in Quebec and Canada, but also across North America and even around the world.
Discovering Nature's Treasures
Imagine seeing all sorts of cool things like:
- Specimens of amphibians (like frogs and salamanders), reptiles (like snakes and turtles), and fish.
- Old archaeological items that tell stories from the past.
- About 4,000 different kinds of birds.
- 1,000 plant and animal fossils, which are like clues from millions of years ago.
- A huge collection of 30,000 invertebrates (animals without backbones, like insects and spiders).
- 500 different mammals.
- 2,000 types of plants and 250 kinds of fungi (like mushrooms).
- 4,000 different rocks and minerals.
- Even old scientific instruments and other interesting objects that scientists used long ago!
Interactive Fun: Exhibitions and More
The museum has a special area for permanent exhibits. One popular exhibit shows how nature changes through the four seasons. There are also temporary exhibition halls that change often, so there's always something new to see!
You can also enjoy an interactive science theatre, where you might get to participate in cool science demonstrations. There's a multi-functional hall for different events, a comfy relaxation area, and even a gift shop where you can find souvenirs to remember your visit. It's a great place to learn and have fun at the same time!
