Museums Day

 

Late last week while our youngest son Logan was on fall break, we decided to spend a cold and rainy day at a couple local museums. Just Logan and I hanging together, checking out all the awesome things to see at a museum. The first museum we visited was the Putnam Museum. I haven’t been there since I was in junior high school and it sure has changed since then!

Some of the awesome exhibits we saw were the Asian Gallery, Black Earth/Big River, Hall of Mammals, River Prairie & People and our personal favorite Unearthing Ancient Egypt.

In the Asian Gallery, we saw mysteries from ancient civilizations and the wonders of numerous cultures including artifacts of Japanese warriors, a Fu Dog that once stood guard over a Chinese temple and a beautiful 18th century Japanese Shinto shrine.

In the Black Earth/Big River exhibit we let the river guide us through the natural habitats of our local area. We explored wetlands, woodlands, prairies and walked through a cave. We learned what lives in a rotting log and explored a huge oak tree from the inside out. We listened to the sounds of the marsh and the stories of the people that live on the Mississippi River. We came face to face with live Mississippi River fish in a 718 gallon aquarium.

In the Hall of Mammals exhibit, we explored the world of mammals. From the familiar cottontails in our back yard to the weird ant-eating Pangolin of Southeast Asia and the polar bears of the Arctic Circle, mammals were everywhere. We visited an African waterhole and saw lions, zebras, a rhino and more having a refreshing drink. We learned how these animals have adapted to survive under extreme conditions and the perils that they face today.

In the River, Prairie & People exhibit, we traveled through time along the Mississippi River. We first explored the life ways of the earliest local residents, the American Indians. We learned how immigrants from all over the world have made our local area their home.

In our favorite exhibit, Unearthing Ancient Egypt, we stepped into an ancient Egyptian tomb and learned how the people lived and what they required for a pleasant afterlife. We found out how forensic anthropologists determine the sex of a body. We came face to face with a 4000 year old mummy and two ancient Egyptian sarcophagi. Burial masks were on display as well.

After spending a couple hours at the Putnam, we stopped at Hardees for a burger and some chicken tenders and then it was off to the Figge Art Museum.

I must admit that the Figge Art Museum was MUCH more interesting for me than my five year old son. I very quickly found that five year old boys are NOT as impressed with 19th century European art as their father is. None the less, we made our way through the ENTIRE museum and were able to see everything but I just couldn’t stop at one particular piece of art for any longer than about 30 seconds.

Some of the art on display were Mexican Colonial, 18th/19th century European/American, 19th/20th century European/American, American Regionalism, Haitian, Medieval/renaissance, Modern and wood art. I had an awesome time viewing the art and was amazed at some of the beautiful paintings. I would like to return sometime soon when I can spend a little more time viewing the art. Unfortunately, they only allow photography in the lobby of the building so I was not able to get any photos of the art which was a real bummer. I did get a couple of good shots of the art in the lobby though.

Museums day was an AWESOME day for Logan and I. We had fun all day long and Logan LOVED having dad all to himself. I’m looking forward to our next day out together!