On Friday, Tropical Storm Debby began her slow creep along the gulf coast of Florida. A storm which ultimately overstayed her welcome made for a soggy Friday-the perfect day for a visiting a museum. I discovered that the Museum of Science and History, aka the MOSH, is $5 on Fridays and open until 8:00. Now I admit that I have been to the MOSH several times. I am certain I took at least 3 field trips to the museum in elementary school as well as many other visits over the years. While it is no Smithsonian, given the space available the museum is managed quite well. They have a variety of exhibits and try to keep each one as relevant the Jacksonville as possible. On the first floor you have the option to start with one of two exhibits: Atlantic Tails or The Body Within. Atlantic Tails is centered around the museum's life size model of a right whale, one of the 10 most endangered whales on the planet. (Source: Mother Nature Network) This exhibit also highlights other marine mammals, including pilot whales and manatees. The Body Within is about, well, the human body. It is designed so that you enter through the mouth, travel through the digestive system, and exit out the "rear". I decided to end my tour with this exhibit, but I suggest that you start with this one. Taking the opposite route and exiting at the mouth is not as interesting as you might think. Also, a side note, if you are at all squeamish you should avoid the TVs in the center of the room. Each one shows a different surgery, each of which fascinated me but other patrons were not as amused. Moving along, also found on the first floor is the JEA Water Expo, Florida's Naturalist Center, Water Worlds, and the museum courtyard. The Naturalist Center actually houses many different animals and the staff give two shows daily to provide more information about a specific species. I actually attended the Marsupial show and touched a juvenile opossum. Any of the my students can tell you that out of the the marsupials, I consider the opossum to be the ugliest and meanest of them all. (They usually tell me a story about the strength of a kangaroo kick at that point.)
The second floor is home to Currents of Time, the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium, and special exhibits. Currents of Time has been a mainstay of the MOSH for as long as I can remember. Visitors travel through the history of Jacksonville and the surrounding areas. Despite being a long-term exhibit, it is one of my favorites as I am a history junky. If the name "Cowford" means nothing to you or you think the only plantation in Jacksonville was Kingsley plantation, you need to visit this exhibit. This month's special exhibit is A T-rex named Sue. Sue (see above) is the most complete T-Rex fossil discovered to date. This exhibit includes a large sand box where children can practice their skills as paleontologists and station that mimics the movement of a T-rex's arms. Yes, you can actually make sure your arms are properly t-rexin' when you are creepin'. The Bryan-Gooding Planetarium is a large improvement from the planetarium I visited as a child. The shows vary depending on the time of year, but always include cosmic concerts on Friday nights. The music for these concerts changes each week. I recommend the Pink Floyd shows, available the first Friday of every month. (Planetarium information) The MOSH does have a third floor, which is simply a gallery featuring different exhibits throughout the year. Running through July 8th is Victory Begins at Home: Florida During World War II. I already mentioned that I am a history junky. I am especially a WWII junky. (Really, I took an entire class on Nazi Germany and another on The Holocaust in college.) Irea
lly liked that this exhibit focused on Florida, and included as many artifacts from Jacksonville as possible. National museums usually provide artifacts and information on how the war affected NYC or Chicago or DC, but rarely anything from Florida. Another nice feature of this exhibit is that the museum has provided QR codes on many cases so that visitors can listen to commentary on their smartphones. Other points of interest at the museum include its KidSpace and the courtyard. (Museum information)If you decide to venture to the MOSH, I suggest that you spend some time after your visit enjoying Friendship Fountain Park. Anyone who went to high school in Jacksonville probably took Prom pictures at the fountain at least once. (Yes, I did, but I never
got a copy of the pictures from the photographers. Ah, the days before digital media.) The fountain has been renovated over the past few years and the construction is almost complete. The original design features, including the lights within the fountain, are still present. The city has already added more lights, benches, and music as part of the renovation. The music usually matches the season, which means the current theme if patriotism. If you are not a fan of God Bless America, my friend Davis might think you are un-American but don't worry there is a song for you: Freedom by Akon. The last piece of the park renovation which appears to almost be complete is a large arbor. I am sure the arbor will ready for next year's Prom season to improve the tradition of taking photographs at the fountain. (Friendship Fountain Information)
If you want to see more of my pictures from my vacation to the MOSH and Friendship fountain, you have to be my facebook friend. No, I will not accept friend requests from strangers. Sorry!
ecause Jax natives measure everything in time instead of distance.) Jacksonville is the largest major city in the USA, so needless to say there is a lot of the city I have never even seen. My crazy roommate suggested I blog my adventures. I am a science teacher so let me apologize in advance for grammar errors and nerdy scientist-like comments.