Exploring Alaska's Museums

Back in 2011 (can't believe its been almost 4 years!) I spent a summer as a museum intern in Anchorage Alaska. It was an incredible, life-changing experience. During my free time I was able to visit a few other museums in the area. Here are some quick reviews of just a few Alaskan Museums. I can't wait to go back and see what else the state has to offer! Have you visited any other awesome Alaskan museums?

The Alaska Museum of Science and Nature

Me with a walrus skull from the education collection.

    This is the museum I interned at, so I may be a bit biased about how awesome it is. It was previously called the Alaska Museum of Natural History, but I think the new name better encompasses all it has to offer. The museum is small, but very welcoming for visitors of all kinds, including families with kids.
   

Teaching about cave bears on a tour!

They have a variety of exhibits and artifacts including dinosaurs, geology, ice age, Alaskan animals, and a special area just for kids. There are many hands-on features, too. They often have special activities during school breaks which tie into the museum exhibits.

To learn more: click here

The Anchorage Museum.

The Anchorage Museum

This was another amazing museum in Anchorage. It is really a state of the art facility with impressive exhibits and so much to see and do. It covers everything from science to history to art. They also have special exhibits, when I was there it was all about mammoths. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Alaska's people and visiting the kids science area. Learn more: click here

The infrared camera in the kids science exhibit was way cool!

The Alaska Sea Life Center

Captain Hillary.

This museum is in Seward, Alaska. I definitely recommend making the trip to Seward if you are in AK. You can hike up a glacier, go on a whale watching cruise, see where the Iditarod started, and explore the quaint town. The Sea Life Center has a lot of interesting exhibit showcasing all of the amazing sea creatures that can be found around Alaska. There is a lot for people of all ages to explore and they also have special informational presentations. Learn more: click here

Puffins at the Sea Life Center!

My Top 5 Museum Recommendations in Michigan

As a museum geek, visiting museums is something I love to do in my free time. Whether I'm traveling out of state or just want to have an afternoon adventure, museums are often my first choice destination. As a Michigan native I have visited many great museums in my state. Here are my top 5 favorites:

1. The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village - Dearborn, MI. I love this museum because it covers so much of Michigan's fascinating history. There is really something for everyone whether you enjoy cars, music, or just history in general.

They also have a Wienermobile.

2. Sloan Museum, Longway Planetarium, and Buick Auto Gallery - Flint, MI. The Sloan was my first museum-love. I have been visiting the museum, planetarium, and auto gallery since I was a little girl and it inspired me to pursue a museum career. The museum's permanent gallery is set up as a time line of Flint, and they also have exciting temporary exhibits.

I love this cool old fire engine!

3. Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum - Mt. Pleasant, MI. This is a newer children's museum in the heart of the state. It has an amazing variety of interactive exhibits ranging from water-play to music making, to bee keeping.

It is seriously so much fun in here!

4. Cranbrook Institute of Science - Bloomfield Hills, MI. Cranbrook is an amazing educational community with an impressive science museum. The museum covers a little bit of everything and it is always fun to see what's new.

Natural History is awesome.

5. Flint Children's Museum - Flint, MI. I may be quite biased on this one since I worked at the FCM for over 4 years,  but it is a cool place. The permanent exhibits are older, but kids still enjoy them just as much as when they are new. The small staff does a great job of creating several new temporary exhibits each year. My favorite part of the museum is the outdoor classroom, Sproutside.

Yes, that's me. I miss making art outside with these little kiddos!