Museum of Discovery

Museum of Discovery. The Museum of Discovery is a science museum located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, and is one of the oldest museums in the state, with a history dating back to 1937. It was founded by Bernice Babcock, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Works Progress Administration, and has since become a popular destination for visitors from Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The museum is affiliated with the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the American Alliance of Museums, and has received accreditation from the American Association for Museum Accreditation.

● History

The Museum of Discovery was established in 1927 as the Arkansas Museum of Science and History, with a mission to promote science education and cultural awareness in the state of Arkansas. The museum was founded by Bernice Babcock, a science educator and curator who had previously worked at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. In the 1950s and 1960s, the museum underwent significant expansion, with the addition of new exhibition halls and collections storage facilities, thanks to the support of Winthrop Rockefeller, Dale Bumpers, and the National Science Foundation. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of Natural History, and the American Museum of Natural History, to develop new exhibitions and programs.

● Exhibitions

The Museum of Discovery features a range of exhibitions that showcase the natural and cultural history of Arkansas and the surrounding region. Some of the current exhibitions include the Hall of Arkansas Geology, which features fossils and minerals from the state's geologic history, and the Gallery of Arkansas Art, which showcases works by Arkansas artists such as Thomas Hart Benton and John James Audubon. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, such as the King Tutankhamun exhibition, which was developed in collaboration with the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Other notable exhibitions have included the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, which was developed in partnership with the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, and the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibition, which was developed in collaboration with the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an, China.

● Collections

The Museum of Discovery has a diverse range of collections that reflect the natural and cultural history of Arkansas and the surrounding region. The museum's collections include over 100,000 objects, including fossils, minerals, artifacts, and works of art by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh. The museum's collections are managed by a team of curators and conservators who work to preserve and interpret the collections for the benefit of the public, in collaboration with other institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California. The museum has also received significant donations from collectors such as J. Paul Getty and Henry Clay Frick, and has partnered with other institutions, such as the British Museum in London, England, and the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, to develop new exhibitions and programs.

● Education

The Museum of Discovery offers a range of educational programs and activities for visitors of all ages, from kindergarten to university level. The museum's education programs are designed to promote science literacy and cultural awareness, and include activities such as hands-on exhibits, workshops, and lectures by experts in the field, such as Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, and Jane Goodall. The museum also offers teacher training programs and curriculum development resources for educators from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Tennessee, in partnership with institutions such as the National Science Teachers Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California, and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois, to develop new educational programs and activities.

● Facilities

The Museum of Discovery is located in a historic building in Little Rock, Arkansas, which was originally constructed in 1927 as a municipal building. The building has undergone significant renovation and expansion over the years, with the addition of new exhibition halls, collections storage facilities, and educational facilities, thanks to the support of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The museum's facilities include a range of exhibition galleries, classrooms, and meeting rooms, as well as a museum store and a cafe, which offer a range of products and services from Arkansas and the surrounding region, such as coffee from Starbucks and pastries from Panera Bread. The museum has also partnered with other institutions, such as the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the National Archives in Washington, D.C., to develop new facilities and programs.

● Programs

The Museum of Discovery offers a range of programs and activities for visitors of all ages, including lectures, workshops, and special events such as the Arkansas Science Festival and the Little Rock Film Festival. The museum also hosts traveling exhibitions and temporary exhibitions, such as the King Tutankhamun exhibition and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, which are developed in collaboration with other institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the American Museum of Natural History. The museum has also partnered with other institutions, such as the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Little Rock Zoo, to develop new programs and activities, and has received support from organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The museum has also collaborated with experts such as Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, and Jane Goodall to develop new programs and activities.

Category:Museums in Arkansas