The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is a children's museum, science and technology center and zoo in Dayton, Ohio, United States that focuses on science and natural history. Exhibits include an extensive natural history collection as well as maintaining a collection of live animals native to Ohio and abroad. Educational outreach extends to the community by providing in-school programming and on-site special programs. SunWatch Indian Village and Fort Ancient are the sister sites to the museum.[2]
The museum was founded in 1893 as the Dayton Museum of Natural History, organizationally part of the Dayton Public Library and Museum.[8] In 1999, the name was changed in honor of Oscar Boonshoft.[9] In 1991 the museum added a Digistar IIPlanetarium to its facilities.
In March 2013, the Dayton Society of Natural History opened a satellite version of their main museum, called the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Springfield, in an approximately 4000-square-foot space in the Upper Valley Mall near Springfield,[10] moving to 20,000 square feet in the former Elder-Beerman space in November. On March 25, 2016, the Dayton Society of Natural History announced that it would close this satellite museum;[11] it did so on April 30.[12]
Permanent museum exhibits
Science On a Sphere is a 68-inch-diameter (1.7m)globe, suspended in mid-air, capable of showing dynamic visualizations of Earth and space. It also has the capability of showing commercial air traffic around the world while presenting other things such as turtle migrations.[13]
Hall of the Universe is an exhibit where interactive learning can take place about the Solar System. Also contains the Exoplanet Exploration exhibit.
Oscar Boonshoft Science Central is an exhibit that contains a water table where children can learn about water and its properties, a manipulative area where children can learn about points, lines, and curves through rubber band art, a demonstrative laboratory, and several other interactive areas.[15]
Children in the Discovery Zoo exhibit
Nesiur the Mummy is an exhibit that contains a mummy donated to the museum from Egypt, and other African pieces.[16]
Mead Tree House is a fully enclosed tree house where children can learn about environmental preservation and use binoculars to do bird watching through windows within the tree house.[16]
The Tidal Pool is an exhibit that contains live marine invertebrates native to the Pacific Northwest, such as starfish. The exhibit is run by a museum employee or volunteer.
The Bieser Discovery Center is an exhibit that contains thousands of real specimens such as animal skeletons, shells, and fossils. Also located in the exhibit are live snakes, including a burmese python. Along with these things are many science related children's books.[17]
The Discovery Zoo is an indoor zoo that is fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that showcases mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians with special adaptations for survival.[18] The Discovery Zoo is home to over 150 animals including a Linne's two-toed sloth, bat-eared foxes, North American river otters, African meerkats, and more recently a Mertens's water monitor named Nessie. Although the museum does not itself rehabilitate injured animals, many of the animals, including the zoo's Virginia opossum, came to the zoo after being injured in the wild and rehabilitated elsewhere, and would be unable to survive on their own.[18] Two otters currently live in the zoo, and are part of a national breeding program; their names are Eno and Sikwa. The Discovery zoo was renovated in 2010 to expand its capacity and recreate a new style to the zoo. The project also included the addition of around 18 new species of animals to the zoo. The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is one of only four museums in the United States that are accredited as an official zoo. The renovation project came at a cost of $1 million.[19]
Education
The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is a popular spot for school field trips. In addition to school field trips, the museum has a program called Exhibits-To-Go which are a set of exhibits that can be taken directly to school classrooms in the Dayton area.[20]
Each day the staff presents special programs such as hands-on science experiments, otter feedings, Planetarium shows, story times, and bird watching (at the Mead Tree House),[16] Science on a Sphere live presentations,[13] and visits with live animals.[21]
Events
The museum hosts many special events each year, such as Red White & Boonshoft, GeekFest, and Eureka!. The Education Department also holds large-scale activities in support of Biology, Nanotechnology and Chemistry, and the Astronomy Department holds Astronomy Day and special Friday night star gazing events.[21]
The future
In 2010, NASA awarded more than $800,000 to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery for the creation of an Exoplanet Exploration exhibit.[22]
Along with the museum's permanent exhibits, there are also traveling exhibits that are commonly presented at the museum.[23]
In the wake of the 2016 closure of the satellite museum at the Upper Valley Mall, the Dayton Society of Natural History had considered relocating the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Springfield into a building on South Fountain Avenue in downtown Springfield. The society estimated it would have needed to raise $2 million for building renovations and $2 million for an endowment to operate the satellite. Renovations were to begin in early 2017, with reopening expected in late 2017 or early 2018.[11] In July 2016 the society decided against this location because of the cost and the short timeframe for fundraising. The society and Springfield leaders reported that they were still working together to find another location.[24] In 2017 some renovations and exhibits were moved and changed. Notably the courthouse and grocery store were removed, the pizza kitchen was moved where the court house was, a shape shop was opened and the Vet Hospital was moved to the old grocery store and expanded. In late 2018 and early 2019 renovations on the lobby, restrooms and education labs will begin.
The Montreal Biodome is a facility located at Olympic Park in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that allows visitors to walk through replicas of four ecosystems found in the Americas. The building was originally constructed for the 1976 Olympic Games as a velodrome with 2,600 seats. It hosted both track cycling and judo events. Renovations on the building began in 1989 and in 1992 the indoor nature exhibit was opened.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a science and technology museum in Portland, Oregon, United States. It contains three auditoriums, including a large-screen theatre, planetarium, and exhibition halls with a variety of hands-on permanent exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology. Transient exhibits span a wider range of disciplines.
The Museum of Science (MoS) is a science museum and indoor zoo in Boston, Massachusetts, located in Science Park, a plot of land spanning the Charles River. Along with over 700 interactive exhibits, the museum features a number of live presentations throughout the building every day, along with shows at the Charles Hayden Planetarium and the Mugar Omni Theater, the only domed IMAX screen in New England. The museum is also an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is home to over 100 animals, many of which have been rescued and rehabilitated.
The Tulsa Zoo is an 84-acre (34 ha) non-profit zoo located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The Tulsa Zoo is owned by the City of Tulsa, but since 2010, has been privately managed by Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. The zoo is located in Mohawk Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.
The Capron Park Zoo is a small 8-acre (3.2 ha) zoo that opened in 1937 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to about 100 animals representing 44 species, Capron Park Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and Association of Zoo and Aquarium Docents (AZAD). It participates in the Species Survival Plan program.
Apollo Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned by Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and operated by the Miami Valley Astronomical Society at Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. The observatory is located at Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton, Ohio, United States.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is a natural history museum located on the northern border of Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. The museum was established in 1909 by the Houston Museum and Scientific Society, an organization whose goals were to provide a free institution for the people of Houston focusing on education and science. The museum complex consists of a central facility with four floors of natural science halls and exhibits, the Burke Baker Planetarium, the Cockrell Butterfly Center, and the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre. In 2022 the museum received 1,520,000 visitors, making it seventh on the List of most-visited museums in the United States, and was the third most-visited U.S. science museum. Much of the museum's popularity is attributed to its large number of special or guest exhibits.
The Potter Park Zoo is a 102-acre (41.3 ha) zoo located in Lansing, Michigan, within Lansing's Potter Park. Its mission is to Inspire people to conserve animals in the natural world. Potter Park Zoo is the oldest public zoo in Michigan and is currently home to over 160 species of animals. The zoo is owned by the City of Lansing, and operated by Ingham County. The zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) designed to manage and conserve threatened or endangered animals. The Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine partners with the zoo to provide medical care for its animals.
The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium, located in Toledo, Ohio, is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), valid through September 2023. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium houses over 10,000 individual animals that cover 720 species. With a large focus on conservation efforts, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium currently participates in over 80 species survival programs. The Toledo Zoo & Aquarium has over 57,000 members and hosts over 1 million visitors a year.
The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon is a community museum in the U.S. state of Georgia. The facility includes four galleries with frequently changing exhibitions, the Discovery House with hands-on activities, live animal habitats, the Mark Smith Planetarium, nature trail, garden, store, auditorium, and classrooms. New exhibitions on fine arts, science topics, and the humanities are presented for periods of four to six months. The museum is open to the public daily and offers programs to schools and groups. The museum is a member of the American Alliance of Museums as of July 2019.
The Magnetic Hill Zoo is a 16-hectare (40-acre) zoo located adjacent to Magnetic Hill and the Magic Mountain in the Magnetic Hill Area of Moncton, New Brunswick. The zoo has over 400 animals, making it the largest zoo in Atlantic Canada. In 2008, the zoo was rated fourth on a list of Canada's top ten zoos.
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium is located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Founded in 1959, the goal of the organization is to open every mind to science through the strategic programming of interactive exhibits and engaging community-based camps and events. The Cox Center has expanded since its creation and now houses over 50 hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, a 3000 square foot aquarium, a miniature golf course, and a large exhibit space that displays a temporary travelling exhibit. The Cox Center is a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers program, which offers a membership that is redeemable at other ASTC science and technology centers around the world. The Cox Center occupies Dreher Park alongside the Palm Beach Zoo and offers deals for entrance to both facilities.
The Planetarium Science Centre is a department in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt. It promotes science centres as an educational tool.
The Akron Zoo is a 77-acre (31 ha) non-profit zoo located just west of downtown in Akron, Ohio, United States.
The Greensboro Science Center is a science museum and zoological park established in 1957 and located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. It has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 2008, and is a member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).
Bramble Park Zoo is located in Watertown, South Dakota. Open since 1912, the zoo comprises 15 acres (6.1 ha) with approximately 500 animals representing 130 different species.
The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) is a facility located in Flatts Village, Bermuda, about 700 mi (1,100 km) east of the United States and at the geographic center of Bermuda. It was established in 1926 by the Bermuda government to enhance a growing tourism industry and "to inspire appreciation and care of island environments." The facility focuses on showing oceanic island species and in conservation, education, and research related to these species, and contains an aquarium, a natural history museum, and a zoo.
CuriOdyssey is a science museum and zoo containing animals and interactive science exhibits. CuriOdyssey is home to nearly 100 rescued animals, most native to California, that cannot survive in the wild. CuriOdyssey's exhibits include a science playground where kids play with scientific phenomena.
The Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History is a 45-acre (18 ha) zoo and former museum located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. Prior to its closure, the Delbridge Museum of Natural History displayed 150 mounted animals, including 38 "vanishing species". The Great Plains Zoo is owned and operated through a partnership between the City of Sioux Falls and the Zoological Society. The City of Sioux Falls owns the infrastructure, land, and all assets associated with the Zoo and Museum and maintains the grounds. The Zoological Society of Sioux Falls, a non-profit, operates the facility, manages the animal collection, and maintains the grounds within the exhibit. The mid-sized Great Plains Zoo was awarded the "Quarter Century Award" by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 2016, marking 25 years of continuous accreditation.
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