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Atlanta, dinosaurs, Family, family travel, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Georgia, Multi-generational Travel
Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia is great place to go for visit. You can purchase tickets for the museum, the IMax Theater, or a combo ticket. On my recent visit, we just went to the museum. The museum has a cafe, museum store, permanent exhibits, and temporary exhibits. You may take pictures in some areas, but not in others.
The current temporary exhibit, Whales: Giants of the Deep, runs until August 24, 2014. It is wonderful! You can not take pictures in this exhibit. There are displays, interactive exhibits, and movies to teach about these wonderful creatures. There are 15 skulls, and 5 skeletons. One is a 58 foot long sperm whale. I learned that a blue whale is as big as a 737 airplane, at up to 100 feet long and weighs as much as 200 tons! Its heart is the size of a small car. There is a model of a blue whale heart for kids to climb through. Some other interactive activities here are to dive down with a sperm whale, design your own dolphin, and listen to various whale sounds. You can hear stories of the Maori culture. These people of the South Pacific are sometimes called the “Whale People.” The stories explain their culture’s relationship with whales, including how it relates to their status, spirituality, and food. You can see weapons and jewelry made from whale bones and teeth. Another display explains why whales get stranded and how people help them.
One of the permanent exhibits is Sensing Nature. Most exhibits are hands-on and focus on how we use our senses in understanding our environment.
World of Shells is a collection of shells from around the world. The exhibit explains how shells are formed and used.
shells
giant clam shell
Conveyed in Clay: Stories From St. Catherine’s Island explores 5,000 years of human history through their pottery. This pottery is the oldest in North America and was made in Georgia. It explains how the pottery was made. Some of these ancient pieces of pottery and tools used to make the wares are displayed.
Curator’s Corner is a permanent exhibit, but what is on display here is changed periodically. Currently, DeSoto’s Footsteps is on display. The display teaches about DeSoto’s encounters with the Native Americans when he and his men came here. A map charts his course. Some of the items on display are pottery, pipes, glass beads, and objects made from iron, brass, and silver.
In Reflections on Culture, you learn about worldwide cultures through this collections that focuses on personal adornment – mainly clothing, jewelry, and body art. The exhibit explains customs and culture using pictures and these artifacts. They tell who wore the object and why they wore it.
A Walk Through Time in Georgia is a fascinating trip into the main geographic regions of Georgia through dioramas. You feel as though you are walking through the land. Theaters are also a part of this exhibit. You are able to see animals and plants that live in each region along with learning about Georgia’s history. Some of the stuffed animals you see are hawks, snakes, black bears, many species of birds, and squirrels.
A Walk Through Time in Georgia
Dinosaur
dinosaur
Another favorite in the permanent collection is the Giants of the Mesozoic. Replicas of several dinosaurs are on display. A few are Argentinosauris and Gigantosaurus. Argentinosauris is the largest know dinosaur to walk the Earth, and Gigantosaurus is close behind with a length of 47 feet. Replicas of fossils are embedded in the floor throughout the museum. A model of a steggosaurus is on the terrace, and Dinosaur Plaza is outside in front of the museum. The bronze statues of these dinosaurs greet visitors as they arrive and depart. It’s a great spot for photographs.
dinosaur
Dinosaur Giants
dinosaur in Dinosaur Plaza
dinosaur statues
There is also a kids’ area. You can spend several hours entertaining yourselves here. We had a delightful day! If you’d like to visit, check out their website (www.fernbankmuseum.org) for hours and ticket prices.
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