Milwaukee Public Museum

Trolley Car entrance to the Streets of Old Milwaukee @Milwaukee Public Museum

On a recent visit to Milwaukee, WI our local science center memberships allowed us free entry into the Milwaukee Public Museum. We had a half day before our return flight home and this made for a fun way to spend a couple of hours. 

One of the most unique areas in this museum was Streets of Old Milwaukee complete with a little candy shop for buying reasonably priced treats both modern and reminiscent of days gone by. Another unique area was the European Village where each cottage reveals a display representing a country in Europe. It seems that every European country was represented.

Additionally, this Milwaukee Public Museum has a large natural history component with a diversity of taxidermy in various displays, a creative geologic display area and prehistoric dioramas. 

If you travel and enjoy museums, I highly recommend a membership to your local science center assuming it is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. The membership cost quickly pays for itself.

Old bicycle photo prop @Milwaukee Public Museum

Interior of an old Milwaukee store @Milwaukee Public Museum.

Streets of Old Milwaukee @Milwaukiee Public Museum

European Village @Milwaukee Public Museum

Dinosaur display @Milwaukee Public Museum

Geologic Area @Milwaukee Public Museum

Taxidermy avian display @ Milwaukee Public Museum

Other Museums in the ASTC Passport Program:

• Museum of Natural Curiosity - Salt Lake City, UT 
• Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point - Salt Lake City, UT
• Fern Bank Natural History Museum - Atlanta, GA
• Florida Museum of Natural History - Gainesville, FL

Art Appreciation: Frida and Friends at the Frist

A self-portrait by Frida Kahlo (@Frist Museum Aug 2019)

While on an impromptu stay in Nashville, we visited the Frist Art Museum where an art exhibition representing Mexican Modernism was on display. The works of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were prominent pieces of this exhibition and through the interpretive displays we learned much about their lives and the context of their work. 

Clothes representing the dress and style of Frida Kahlo (@Frist Art Museum Aug 2019)

A mural by Diego Rivera (@Frist Art Museum Aug 2019)

Another exhibit "Monsters & Myths: Surrealism and War in the 1930s and 1940s," included some rather morbid themes. There were a couple of iconic pieces by Salvador Dali- "Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach" being one of the most recognizable. 

Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach by Dali (@Frist Art Museum Aug 2019)

When asked to point out her favorite work in this exhibit, my aspiring 11-year old artist to selected a piece by Wolfgang Paalen shown below.

"Paysage totémique de mon enfance" by Wolfgang Paalen (In English: Totemic landscape of my childhood) (@Frist Art Museum Aug 2019)

We have had other opportunities to learn about works of art over the years mostly from a historical context. My almost 13 year old son indicated that he is not a fan of surreal and modern art styles and prefers more realistic works like those we have learned about in our European history. My daughter, on the other hand, said that she likes different things about all art genres - spoken like a true artist I suppose.

Related Links: 

• Art Inspired by Maud Lewis (shannafern.com)
• Van Gogh Inspired Art (shannafern.com)

Emerald Village Museum and Gem Mine

In August 2017, we visited the mountains of North Carolina to see friends, be closer to the path of totality for the eclipse and to get a break from the Florida heat. 

When traveling, I am always on the lookout for unique learning experiences. The kids were very interested in gem mining so I researched a couple of places and decided on Emerald Village. It was a longer drive for us but I was intrigued by the history of the site as well as the gem mining opportunity. 

The mines at Emerald Village were started during the depression as a source for feldspar as the main ingredient in the Bon Ami cleaning product. Ironically, any other items found including gemstones were tossed away as worthless tailings. Today, customers can pay for a pass to glean precious metals and stones from those tailing piles. I would imagine that you really need to know what to look for. 

We toured the lovely grounds and museum for a fee and payed to sift through a medium sized bucket.

One of the mines with old equipment about.

Visitors can walk back in the shallow cave and feed the trout in the pond

The Bon Ami Museum and Mine tour entrance at Emerald Village

Inside the mine museum at Emerald Village

An old post office on site at Emerald Village

The Discovery Mill at Emerald Village

Antiques in the Discovery Mill building at Emerald Village are numerous and diverse

Gem mining flume at Emerald Village

Meteor Crater

Meteor Crater or Barringer Crater

Meteor Crater is about a mile in diameter and was formed around 50,000 years ago when a meteor weighing several thousand tons struck the earth. This place is a striking and unforgettable sight. It was featured in the 1984 movie Starman and was used by NASA astronauts to train for the Apollo missions to the moon.

There are viewpoints along one edge of the rim. Meteor Crater is on privately owned property and admission is required. An optional 30 minute tour is included with admission. In the visitor center, there are several interpretive displays that discuss the history of the site as well as a video devoted to how the impact crater was created. A gift shop and Subway restaurant is available.

The visitor center houses the largest meteorite found in the surrounding area and is believed to have been part of the meteor that made the impact crater. One would not think it by just looking at it but this meteorite weighs over 1,406 lbs.

Naturally occurring processes are degrading the impact site but after 50,000 years it is still very impressive and will remain so for centuries to come. We first visited this site nearly 10 years ago with a one year old Jonah. He should remember this most recent visit.

2017

2007

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Museum of Natural Curiosity

The Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point is probably the most elaborate, amazing kid's museum that I have ever seen. The fact that I didn't see many pictures or a map on the website set me up for quite a surprise during our afternoon visit.

The Rainforest is essentially a giant playground 3 stories high that is robust enough for adults to traverse. 

Above the Rainforest there is a Ropes Course built into the rafter area where I espied this kid going along all by himself which did cause me a certain amount of angst.

Then there is the Kidopolis which is a very elaborate kids town filled with rooms dedicated to different themes: a laundromat, a 2-story library, a magicians shop, and a community theater to name a few. Jonah changed the Kiosk on the theatre to read "LEGO Batman."

There is also a huge Water Works section and many nooks and crannies inside that I did not photograph.

Outside is a huge Discovery Garden complete with faux caves that imitate the nearby Timpanogos Cave National Monument, as well as a goldfish pond and several play areas not pictured.

These pictures do not do this place justice by any means. If you have kids and are in the Salt Lake City area, this place should be high on the priority list. 

With the ASTC Travel Passport Program, we saved $39 on admission. However, I would say this place is worth paying the fee if you plan on staying a few hours. This was our second stop for the day after the Museum of Ancient Life so we only stayed a couple of hours.

Related articles

• Summer Day at Utah's Olympic Park (shannafern.com)
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Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point

While tagging along on a a work retreat with daddy, we took advantage of the of the ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) Travel Passport Program. We are a member of the Orlando Science Center which participates in the program and allows us to visit other participating museums at free or reduced rates. The list of participating museums and science centers is extensive. 

We took advantage of this program more than once during our week in the Salt Lake City area. Our first stop was the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, which happened to be right next door to our hotel. 

Since we saved $39 by not having to pay admission, I decided to pay the $4/student fee for the 12 minute Jr. Paleo Lab where the kids were able to use the same type of drill that scientists use to prepare and clean fossils and on a real fossil. 

The Fossil Lab at the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point

Tree Fern fossils among others

Supersaurus skeleton at the Museum of Ancient Life

This is a fossilized dorsal vertebrae of a Supersaurus

Jonah with an Allosaurus skeleton at the Museum of Ancient Life

The museum had a cast skeleton of an Allosaurus. We found a true fossil from this species on the grounds of the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry only a few days earlier.

Utahsaurus at the Museum of Ancient Life

T-Rex display at the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point

Smallest mounted mammoth skeleton at the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point

This baby mammoth was under a year old when it died. It is the smallest mounted mammoth skeleton in existence according to the signage.

Related articles

• Clevendland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry (shannafern.com)
• Summer Day at Utah's Olympic Park (shannafern.com)
• Homeschool Day at the Florida Museum of Natural History (shannafern.com)