Check out the ongoing exhibits and events at some of our favorite places here:
Bodies and Spirits: Health and the History of Fermentation and Distillation: Why have some doctors recommended giving babies wine? Why did hops originally become a popular addition to beer? How did alcoholic beverages, once considered food and medical items, become symbols of dangerous behavior? Learn more at our exhibit on fermentation, distillation and medicine throughout history.
The exhibit will showcase over 400 years of medical, scientific, and recipe books from the library’s collection, including records of 16th century women distilling alcohol for medicines at home, 19th century microscopic investigations of the science of fermentation, and 20th century medical and social debates about alcohol.
By tapping into the intriguing history of fermenting and distilling, the exhibit will spark discussions in the broader Twin Cities community around the role of alcohol in health and society.
When: September 14, 2015 through May 31, 2016
Where: Wangensteen Historical Library, 568 Diehl Hall (directions and parking)
Hours: Open during regular library hours
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Bakken Museum:
Science Studio: Every Saturday (except on major holidays) an educator from the Bakken's staff creates a room full of activities for visitors of all ages to explore and craft. Each Science Studio Saturday has a theme. Check their events calendar for more details.
Electropolis: It takes a lot of work to light up a city! Electropolis is an exhibit on electricity in Minneapolis that combines science and history to engage children ages 4-8 and their families in educational play.
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Bell Museum of Natural History:
Peregrine Falcon: From Endangered Species to Urban Bird: Revisit the incredible story of how falconers, biologists and conservationists joined together to save these raptors and how people are applying those same methods to other endangered species today.
Birds & DNA: Biodiversity and Mountain Islands: The forests of the Caucasus Mountains are being cut and their birds are at risk. These forest birds look similar to European birds, but are they really the same? If the Caucasus birds are unique species, what conservation efforts will be needed to protect them?
Touch and See Discovery Room: This exhibit is ongoing with no current end date.
From the website: imagine a place where you can find the answers to all your questions about the natural world. Investigate wondrous objects, from a 10,000-year-old wooly mammoth tusk to a life-sized kodiak bear, from an elephant skull to a living, moving snake. The Touch and See Discovery Room has it all - come explore for yourself!
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Science Museum of Minnesota
Sherlock Holmes and The Clocktower Mystery:
Open through January 3rd: Step into a scene from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Victorian London and join the world’s most famous detective in solving a baffling mystery. Presented chapter by chapter, this interactive short story relies on your powers of observation and deductive reasoning.
Find clues in the exhibition’s period rooms, in overheard conversations, and even in the air you breathe. Record your observations, hypothesize about surprises and details, and work together to put the pieces of the puzzle together to reveal whodunit. This exhibit is included with museum admission.
Race: Are We So Different?:
We all know that people look different. Throughout history, those differences have been a source of strength, community and personal identity. They have also been the basis for discrimination and oppression.
And while those differences are socially and culturally real, contemporary scientific understanding of race and human variation is complex and may challenge how we think about it.RACE: Are We So Different? helps visitors understand what race is and what it is not. It gives them the tools to recognize racial ideas and practices in contemporary American life. This exhibit is included with museum admission.