Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum
The Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum stands as physical proof that the line, "if you build it, they will come" can become a reality.
After the City of Ann Arbor gave her their stamp of approval in 1978, Cynthia Yao gathered together a team of dedicated volunteers, who rolled up their sleeves and got to work on their own hands-on project. About four years later, in 1982, the group had transformed an old firehouse into a two-story wonder. Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum opened its doors, offering 25 exhibits, employing two staff people, and gaining support and help from 10 volunteers.
During its inaugural year of operation, the museum welcomed approximately 25,000 eager, curious, young and not-so-young minds. Since then, more than 4.5 million people have walked through the museum's doors, according to its website (www.aahom.org).
The museum was an unqualified success, and about 10 years after it opened (1993), it utilized a Kresge Foundation Grant to convert the firehouse's third and fourth floors into exhibit space, and kick-started another expansion via a $6.5 million Capital Campaign to purchase a number of adjacent buildings for forthcoming programs and experiences. The National Science Foundation also has contributed about $1.7 million over the museum's lifetime.
Permanent Exhibits
- All About You - explorations inside and outside of the human body, featuring a physical fitness gauge, Huron City Ambulance and more
- Light and Optics - spotlights the science involved in making light bend, creating shadows, and applying light to various aspects of life
- Legacy Gallery - presents simple machines and shows how they can make complex systems work
- Lyon's Country Store Exhibit - recreates a 1920s-era country store
- Media Works - explores the science of telecommunication and television
- Michigan Nature Discover Room - uses an interactive wall, soundscape and native freshwater fish and geology samples to teach visitors about Michigan's natural environment
- Preschool Gallery - designed specifically to entertain and enthrall kids less than 4
- World Around You - contains imagination stimulators like a climbing wall, bubble capsule and magnet exhibits
- Concourse - offers myriad visitor favorites, such as Building in a Building, tornado, Google Liquid, a water table and whisper dishes
The Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum's visitor information is listed below, as well as on the web (www.aahom.org).
Phone:
734.995.5439
image via www.aahom.org
