Homely Scientist

My father graduated from Harvard Medical School many years ago and while I lived in Boston as a child I frequently went to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. I even went to a Saturday morning program there and had one birthday party there too.

While the Boston Museum of Science (the Charles Hayden Planetarium has one of the last dumb-bell style Lietz star projectors … and the world’s largest Van de Graff generator is there as well) and New England Aquarium might be more famous, the Harvard Museums will always be my personal favourites.

If you journey over to Cambridge and go to the museum, spend time in the glass flowers exhibit. It is truly breath-taking. Life-size, hand-painted, anatomically accurate models of flowers in glass. When I was there years ago many of the flowers were starting to break, and they are irreplaceable.

The Geological museum is of course cool and the Museum of Comparative Zoology … well that will take your breath away too.

I think one of the things that I always liked about the museum was that it seemed classic for lack of a better word. Creaky floors, old, old specimens, tall windows. The feel of the place is inspiring, almost like a church or cathedral of science.

When I visit a city for any period of time I try to make time to visit the natural history, etc museums. I still haven’t been to Science World in Vancouver, but New York, San Fransico, L. A., Richmond (Virginia), Washington D.C, Athens, Munich, and Royal Ontario Museum, Royal BC Museum those all have been ticked off my list.

What’s your favourite museum? Maybe think about taking your kids to a museum soon. Great for a rainy day. If you can manage being a parent chaperone for a field trip … well all the better!

Enjoy science with your kids. Visit a museum, go to a planetarium. Experience the wonder and excitement again for yourself.

Tags: science museums, science education

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