Museums!
One of my fondest childhood memories involves a trip to a museum in Ohio. I believe it was the Ohio History Museum, but cannot be sure. http://www.ohiohistory.org/
Nevertheless, what I most remember about that day is that I was able to make butter! A woman dressed in pioneer garb, poured milk into a glass jar, fitted with a paddle lid, and told me to turn the handle as long and as hard as I could. In front of my very eyes, the milk changed into butter, which we ate on saltines! I was completely wowed, though I also remember that the boys were allowed to build a log cabin, using giant “Lincoln Log” type plastic logs, which fit into each other to create a structure big enough for us to go inside, and I wished I had also been permitted to help build “our” house. It was an amazing day, where history came to life!
In general I love museums, and in general there is a museum for practically anything which you can imagine from twine, http://www.darwintwineball.com/ to toys, http://www.toymuseumny.org/ . I know a lot of people think of museums as stuffy places which they do not want to include in their travel itineraries, but not all museums are created equally. It is true that many museums are made up of the hallowed halls which house our collective notion of fine art genius; and I most whole heartedly recommend you visit such places, as art does feed the spirit, but there are all kinds of museums which serve to help us understand, appreciate, and preserve all that matters to humanity.
Think Smithsonian! It is impossible to spend an un-stimulated second in the many museums which make up the Smithsonian Institution – and they are all free! There is so much to see on the Mall, where most of the museums are located, that you could literally spend a week in Washington D.C., doing nothing but eating in the basement of Union Station, and walking through the Smithsonian’s. I guarantee that seeing Charles Lindberg’s plane, “The Spirit of Saint Louis”, is not something your children will soon forget; and you never know what kind of inspiration it will stir. Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers, Julia Child’s Kitchen, and the Hope Diamond, really do leave you wondering and wishing and wanting to explore! http://www.si.edu/
When I was a freshman in college, the brilliant Professor Gonzalez said that one could not truly know the world without visits to the Museum of Anthropology, Museo Nacional de Antropología e Historia, in Mexico City, and the Prado, in Madrid – she was of coursed biased, as they are quite a few other places I would add to that list, but she did manage to impress upon me the importance of stopping to the Aztec Calendar Stone and Goya and Velázquez masterpieces. Is your life changed because you have seen a Pablo Picasso painting or can tell the difference between Édouard Manet, people, and Claude Monet, objects? No, but it is enriched.
http://www.gobiernodigital.inah.gob.mx/mener/index.php?contentPagina=33
If you are planning a trip this summer or looking for something to do near home, do a museum search, and see what you find. Think about what you are interested in or what you would like to learn more about, or what you know absolutely nothing about! Take note of days and hours, as many museums are closed on Mondays. Also, when are the museums free? Most large museums, world wide, have at least one day a month when you can visit for free, or a day a week, when after a certain hour admission fees are waved. Read the small print, for example, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City, the admission price, which is listed at twenty dollars, is only a suggestion – you may pay what you can!
Take a look at this site if you are planning a visit to New York City this summer:
http://gonyc.about.com/cs/museums/a/museumdeals.htm
Find out ahead of time if you can picnic on the grounds, is there a café, or a restaurant nearby that you can walk to? Are there lockers? Is photography allowed? What items cannot be brought into the museum? Do not overlook the bookstores, though things are often a bit over priced, as the bookstores serve as an ongoing fund raiser, you may find a perfect post card or magnet, for a few dollars, which will serve as a great souvenir – as do your ticket stubs and guide book.
Many large and very popular museums allow you to purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid standing in long lines; this is especially true when there is a special exhibit. Buying ahead of time is a personal choice. I have found, for example, when the King Tut exhibit came to South Florida that we overpaid for our admission buy buying early, fearing Los Angles type lines. However, I know people who say that this is the only way to go. Think about when you will be attending, what you would like to see, how much time you have, and how much buzz there is regarding the museum or exhibit. If you only have a few hours for the Louvre – buy the on-line ticket!
If you find a museum in your area, which interest you, consider becoming a docent. Museums are always looking for volunteers, especially when they have special events – a great way to meet new people and have free access to the museum.
Many museums will sponsor lectures, films, concerts, and various parties which are open to the public, bookmark your local museums and periodically check their calendar of events.
If you are planning on taking children or young teens to a museum, I have found that telling them about what they are going to see, and why it matters helps to create a certain amount of enthusiasm. Show them the museums website or a book about the art you are going to see or a movie about the Kitty Hawke, information always equals power! Let the children be a part of planning what they will see, and have them come prepared with some interesting fact to share.
Finally, I cannot remember ever having been to an untidy restroom in a museum! That is all for now.
