Fun Times at The Museum of Natural History
Reinette LeJeune
The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History is extending its hours for July and August! Learn about mastodons, dinosaurs, and the vast wildlife of the Michigan wilderness every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, observing closings for holidays like July 4th.
The recently renovated museum offers three stories of breath-taking exhibits featuring life-size dinosaur fossils, Michigan’s varied natural life and a planetarium. All of the exhibits have hands-on components featuring textures or touch-screens, making it a fun experience for kids and a wholesome experience for parents wanting to watch their little ones learn. For the kids, be sure to steer them towards the nature labs, drop-in spaces which offer the opportunity to step into the role of scientist and follow step-by-step instructions for educational crafting experiments.The projects are compelling for all ages but simple enough for toddlers to participate – perfect for those STEM loving kids!
Evolution: Life through Time, is the largest exhibit at the museum and, as the name suggests, explores the timeline of evolutionary change. It starts with fossils of early organisms, proceeding through the dinosaurs, the Ice Age, and into more modern extinct species. A noted feature of the exhibit is the new Majungasaurus skeleton, which sports shorter arms than both the T-Rex and Allosaurus. The exhibit utilizes beautiful artworks to create scenic portraits of the skeletons’ environments, such as the water scenes which combined oceanic murals as backdrops for the aquatic fossils. The exhibit finishes on extinct modern species such as the Dodo bird while also providing resources on how to prevent further extinctions in the future.
Every afternoon, the Planetarium & Dome Theater presents movies and star tours with programming. Also on the first floor, serving as an entrance to the planetarium is the Measuring Time and Space exhibit. You can check how tall you are in cats or penguins standing on one another, and also use the interactive video screen which uses body movements to move around the universe.
There’s always new knowledge and fun to be had at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, so don’t miss out on the extended chances to explore our past, present, and future.
Reprinted from the Tri-City Record
