Montshire Museum of Science
The Montshire Museum of Science is a hands-on science museum located in Norwich, Vermont, United States.
Description
The museum, including the building and nature trails, is located on over 100 acres (40 ha) of land.[3] It has over 150 exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology.[4] 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.[5]
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),[3] 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.[6][7] Each year, the museum holds an annual igloo build.[8]
History
The name "Montshire" is a portmanteau of "Vermont" and "New Hampshire".[1] It was cofounded in 1974 by Dr. Robert Chaffee, former Museum Director of the Dartmouth College Museum.
When the college museum closed, Chaffee and Walter Paine devised a community museum and education center, incorporating it as the Montshire. In 1976, Dartmouth College donated the collection of biological and geological collections to the new museum.[1][9]
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 a purpose-built building in Norwich in 1989.[1] [2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Montshire Museum: History & Overview". www.montshire.org. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ a b Levin, Ted (June 8, 2009). "Levin: Exhibit curator retires". Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Trail Finder: Montshire Museum trails". Trail Finder. 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ "Montshire Museum: Exhibits". www.montshire.org. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ Corriveau, David (January 27, 2017). "Montshire Museum Designs Exhibit About How Music Gets Made". Valley News. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ "The Musical Fence". www.paulmatisse.com. March 27, 2018.
- ^ "Montshire Museum: Montshire Outside". www.montshire.org. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Schwartz, Gregory (1976). "'Save the zebra! Save the zebra!'". Dartmouth Alumni Magazine: 23. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official website
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