Montshire Museum of Science

The Montshire Museum of Science is a hands-on science museum located in Norwich, Vermont, United States.

Montshire Museum of Science
Science Park area of the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich Vermont
Established1976
Location1 Montshire Road
Norwich, Vermont, US
Coordinates43.7002°N 72.305°W / 43.7002; -72.305
TypeScience museum
AccreditationASTC
Visitors150,000[1]
FounderRobert Chaffee[1]
DirectorLara Litchfield-Kimber[1]
Public transit accessAdvance Transit Green Route, plus 9-minute walk
Websitewww.montshire.org

Description

The museum, including the building and nature trails, is located on over 100 acres (40 ha) of land.[2] It has over 150 exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology.[3] Its live animal exhibits include a hive of honeybees that is connected to the outdoors, a colony of leafcutter ants, and aquariums that feature life in local waters.[4]

Outside the museum building, there is a 3-acre (1.2 ha) Science Park including a scale model of the Solar System (Pluto is located 2 miles (3.2 km) away),[2] and interactive exhibits on water, light, sound, and motion. Among the sound exhibits there are "whisper dishes" (parabolic dishes 40 feet (12 m) apart) and a musical fence built by Paul Matisse, grandson of painter Henri Matisse.[5][6] Each year, the museum holds an annual igloo build.[7]

Programs

History

The name "Montshire" is a portmanteau of "Vermont" and "New Hampshire".[1] It was founded in 1974 by Robert Chaffee, former Museum Director of the Dartmouth College Museum, after the natural history museum there was closed, and received title to much of the former museum's collections in 1976.[1] The Montshire Museum was first located in a former bowling alley building in 1976 in Hanover, New Hampshire, and was later moved across the Connecticut River to Norwich in 1989.[1]

References
  1. "Montshire Museum: History & Overview". www.montshire.org. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  2. "Trail Finder: Montshire Museum trails". Trail Finder. 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  3. "Montshire Museum: Exhibits". www.montshire.org. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  4. Corriveau, David (January 27, 2017). "Montshire Museum Designs Exhibit About How Music Gets Made". Valley News. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  5. "The Musical Fence". www.paulmatisse.com. March 27, 2018.
  6. "Montshire Museum: Montshire Outside". www.montshire.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  7. Sauchelli, Liz (February 15, 2018). "Out & About: Build an Igloo, Learn About the Science of Snow at the Montshire". Valley News. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
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