Buffalo Museum of Science

Last updated
Buffalo Museum of Science
Buffalo Museum of Science Dec 09.JPG
Buffalo Museum of Science, December 2009
Buffalo Museum of Science
EstablishedDecember 5, 1861
Location Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Coordinates 42°54′22″N78°50′36″W / 42.906132°N 78.843314°W / 42.906132; -78.843314
TypeScience
PresidentGary Siddall
CuratorKathryn Leacock
Website www.sciencebuff.org

The Buffalo Museum of Science is a science museum located at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Buffalo, New York, United States, northeast of the downtown district, near the Kensington Expressway. The historic building was designed by August Esenwein and James A. Johnson and was dedicated on January 19, 1929. It gave a permanent home to the exhibits that started to be collected by the Buffalo Young Men's Association (founded 1836), which had passed them to its 1861 creation, the Buffalo Natural History Society, [1] with George W. Clinton chosen as the Society's first president.

Contents

The attractions of the Buffalo Museum of Science include exhibits showcasing animals, astronomy, the science of technology, and additional science topics.

Exhibitions

Explorations

Explorations is an interactive gallery for children ages two to seven featuring new themes every month.

Explore You Science Studio

Explore You is a health systems science studio. The space was remodeled and opened in March 2012. The interactive exhibit gives a hands-on approach to health, exploring topics such as healthy choices, body systems, the heart, medical technology, genetics, and related research done in Western New York. It is sponsored by prominent local health insurance company Independent Health.

Rethink Extinct Science Studio

The Rethink Extinct Science Studio opened in March 2015 as remodel of the previous Extinction Gallery. This exhibit focuses on all aspects of extinction throughout the history of life on this planet including present-day extinctions and endangered plants and animals.

The Extinction Gallery was a collection of fossils and cultural pieces relating to organisms that have gone extinct on the planet. Specimens include 50-million-year-old birds, feathers and flowers, the earliest known land plant, a trilobite trapped in a seashell nearly 400 million years ago, a cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, a compression fossil replica of Archaeopteryx, Triceratops horridus, Deinonychus antirrhopus , and Allosaurus fragilis . Many of the pieces in this exhibit come from the previous Dinosaurs and Co. space at the museum. In addition, a specimen of Albertosaurus sarcophagus (nicknamed "Stanley") is displayed in the first floor lobby next to admissions.

Nano

Nano is an interactive exhibition that engages family audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Hands-on exhibits present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real world applications, and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology.

Other exhibitions

Additional exhibitions include the Buffalo in Space Science Studio (opened in 2017), the Artifacts Science Studio (opened in March 2014), the In Motion Science Studio (opened in 2013), the Our Marvelous Earth Science Studio (opened in 2012), and the Bug Works Science Studio (opened in 2013).

In 2010 the museum began an extensive renovation campaign, the goal of which was to convert the old diorama based exhibits into interactive Science Studios. This campaign culminated with the renovation and reopening of the Kellogg Observatory in July 2018

Previous exhibits

Whem Ankh: The Cycle of Life in Ancient Egypt

Whem Ankh was an exhibit running from 1998 to 2013 displaying artifacts from the daily life as lived on the banks of the lower Nile River 2,200 years ago. Over 250 artifacts are included in the collection, including the mummies of Nes-hor and of Nes-min, priests in the temple of the Egyptian fertility god Min, and the coffin of Djed-hor-ef-ankh.

Intended as a temporary exhibit, it was made permanent due to its initial popularity, which it enjoyed through most of its tenure. Whem Ankh closed in July 2013, and was replaced by the "Artifacts" exhibit in March 2014. [2]

Marchand Hall of Wildflowers

The Marchand Hall of Wildflowers displayed numerous wax models of species of plant life created throughout several decades by naturalists George and Paul Marchand.

Additional features

The museum also features the National Geographic 3D Cinema, Elements Café, and the Curiosity Shop.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science Museum, London</span> Museum in Kensington, London

The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum</span> Science museum in Bangalore, India

The Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM), Bangalore, India, a constituent unit of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, was established in memory of Sir M. Visvesvaraya. The 4,000 m2 (43,000 sq ft) building was constructed in Cubbon Park, and was inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on July 14, 1962. The museum displays industrial products, scientific models and engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of American History</span> Museum in Washington, D.C.

The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center is a historical museum in Washington, D.C. It collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is the original Star-Spangled Banner. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and located on the National Mall at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nebraska State Museum</span>

The University of Nebraska State Museum, also known as Morrill Hall, founded in 1871, is a natural history museum featuring Nebraska biodiversity, paleontology, and cultural diversity, located on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln City Campus near the corner of 14th and Vine Streets in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. The museum houses Mueller Planetarium, a hands-on science discovery center, and the Elephant Hall, where visitors can see the world's largest articulated fossil mammoth among the collection of fossil elephants. Also featured are interactive paleontology exhibits, a dinosaur gallery, ancient life and evolution exhibits, wildlife dioramas, gems and minerals, American Indian and African exhibits, and a temporary exhibit gallery featuring rotating displays on diverse topics including photography, quilts and fine arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Science (Boston)</span> Science museum, Indoor zoo in Boston, Massachusetts

The Museum of Science (MoS) is a nature and science museum and indoor zoological establishment located in Science Park, a plot of land in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, spanning the Charles River. Along with over 700 interactive exhibits, the museum features a number of live and interactive presentations throughout the building each day, along with scheduled film showings at the Charles Hayden Planetarium and the Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum is a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Additionally, the Museum of Science is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), being home to over 100 animals, many of which the museum gained after they were surrendered, confiscated, rescued or rehabilitated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Science Center</span> Science museum in California, U.S.

The California Science Center is a state agency and museum located in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, next to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the University of Southern California. Billed as the West Coast's largest hands-on science center, the California Science Center is a public-private partnership between the State of California and the California Science Center Foundation. The California Natural Resources Agency oversees the California Science Center and the California African American Museum. Founded in 1951 as the "California Museum of Science and Industry", the Museum was remodeled and renamed in 1998 as the "California Science Center". The California Science Center hosts the California State Science Fair annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COSI</span> Science museum in Columbus, Ohio

COSI, officially the Center of Science and Industry, is a science museum and research center in Columbus, Ohio. COSI was opened to the public on 29 March 1964 and remained there for 35 years. In 1999, COSI was moved to a 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m2) facility, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki along a bend in the Scioto River in the Franklinton neighborhood. COSI features more than 300 interactive exhibits throughout themed exhibition areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Alberta Museum</span> History museum in Edmonton, Alberta

The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) is a museum of human and natural history in Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located north of City Hall. The museum is the largest in western Canada with more than 7,600 square metres (82,000 sq ft) exhibition space and 38,900 square metres (419,000 sq ft) in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Children's Museum of Indianapolis</span> Childrens museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located at 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana in the United Northwest Area neighborhood of the city. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is 472,900 square feet (43,933.85 m2) with five floors of exhibit halls and receives more than one million visitors annually. Its collection of over 130,000 artifacts and exhibit items is divided into two domains: Arts & Humanities and the Natural Sciences. Among the exhibits are simulated Cretaceous and Jurassic dinosaur habitats, a carousel, a steam locomotive, and the glass sculpture Fireworks of Glass Tower and Ceiling. The museum's focus is family learning; most exhibits are designed to be interactive, allowing children and families to actively participate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Museum of Natural Science</span> Natural history museum in Houston, Texas

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Museum</span> State museum of natural history, anthropology, and history in New York, United States

The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol. The museum houses art, artifacts, and ecofacts that reflect New York’s cultural, natural, and geological development. Operated by the New York State Education Department's Office of Cultural Education, it is the oldest and largest state museum in the US. Formerly located in the State Education Building, the museum now occupies the first four floors of the Cultural Education Center, a ten-story, 1,500,000-square-foot (140,000 m2) building that also houses the New York State Archives and New York State Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences</span> Natural history museum in Raleigh, North Carolina

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) is a natural history museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. The museum is the oldest in the state, and the largest natural history museum in the Southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science</span> Science museum in New Mexico, U.S

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is a natural history and science museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico near Old Town Albuquerque. The Museum was founded in 1986. It operates as a public revenue facility of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science</span> Science museum in Miami, Florida, US

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, formerly known as the Miami Science Museum or Miami Science Museum and Space Transit Planetarium, is a science museum, planetarium, and aquarium located in Miami, Florida, United States. The museum originally opened its Coconut Grove location across from Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in 1960. It relocated to Maurice A. Ferré Park in the downtown area adjacent to the Perez Art Museum Miami in 2017 after the closing of the Coconut Grove location in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlando Science Center</span> Science museum in Orlando, Florida

The Orlando Science Center (OSC) is a private science museum located in Orlando, Florida. Its purposes are to provide experience-based opportunities for learning about science and technology and to promote public understanding of science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada Science and Technology Museum</span> National museum of science and technology in Ottawa, Canada

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is a national museum of science and technology in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum has a mandate to preserve and promote the country's scientific and technological heritage. The museum is housed in a 13,458 square metres (144,860 sq ft) building. The museum is operated by Ingenium, a Crown corporation that also operates two other national museums of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Witte Museum</span>

The Witte Museum is a museum located in Brackenridge Park in San Antonio, Texas, and was established in 1926. It is dedicated to telling the stories of Texas, from prehistory to the present. The permanent collection features historic artifacts and photographs, Texas art, textiles, dinosaur bones, cave drawings, and Texas wildlife dioramas, in addition to nationally acclaimed traveling exhibits. Artwork in the collection includes sculpture by San Antonio-born Bonnie MacLeary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingenium</span> Canadas Museums of Science and Innovation

Ingenium – Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation, formally the National Museum of Science and Technology, is a Canadian Crown corporation responsible for overseeing national museums related to science and technology. The name is based on the Latin root of the word ingenuity. Until June 2017, the corporation was branded as Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of Industrial History</span> Historical museum in Pennsylvania, U.S.

The National Museum of Industrial History, abbreviated NMIH, housed in the former facility of Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is a museum affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution that seeks to preserve, educate, and display the industrial history of the nation. It holds a collection of artifacts from the textile, steel and iron, and propane gas industries.

Science tourism is a travel topic grouping scientific attractions. It covers interests in visiting and exploring scientific landmarks, including museums, laboratories, observatories and universities. It also includes visits to see events of scientific interest, such as solar eclipses.

References

  1. Rea, Paul Marshall (October 1910). "A Directory of American Museums" . Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. X (1). Buffalo, New York: 188. OCLC   297278075 . Retrieved 2023-09-14 via Internet Archive text collection. The Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences - Historical Sketch
  2. "Home Page :: Buffalo Museum of Science". 2014-03-09. Archived from the original on 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2023-12-01.

42°54′22″N78°50′36″W / 42.906132°N 78.843314°W / 42.906132; -78.843314