The tornado is up and running!

Yesterday Steve and his crew finished setting up the tornado!

It is super cool. I could stare at it for hours, watching it form and dissolve and re-form again. It is unpredictable, just like a real tornado!

Here is a video of it in action!

Big changes in Discover World!

Our maintenance staff works on installing the new tornado exhibit in Discover World.

Things are changing in Discover World!

Lynette Reiner, our new Science Director, is busy at work improving the exhibits and activities in DW!

Here are some highlights:

The Tree of Life



Lynette has added stuffed animal representations of animals you will find in your backyard in Ohio! There are some really cute things -- when you come in, study the tree in Ecology Island and see if you can find everything "hidden" in it!










New Baby Turtle!







And there's a contest for his name!

What do you like?

• Peanut
• Emeril
• Pumpkin

The most money in the container WINS!! So stop in and stuff the ballot box with your choice!


Check out the adorable baby turtle swimming in his tank!

The tanks are attached to the ponds -- if you can't see him in one area, go around to the other side!

New Toddler Area



The Toddler Area has been moved into a space that was previously used as a storage room. There are some new toys, and a bright new color scheme! Come check it out!


The Tornado!



This is the first major purchase for Discover World using funds from the Capital Campaign! The guys are working to get it ready for its big debut!


The Electric Show Has Moved!

The area that was formerly the Electric Show stage is now a large movie screen! Lynette will be able to project anything she wants -- really BIG!



The Electric Show is now located in the area that was formerly housed the Toddler Area:



This will also be the new Science Demo Area, where all of the science shows will take place.


Old Favorites Are Still Here!

Your favorite animals are still here. Puff the Bearded Dragon and Randy the Rabbit are just a few of the animals you will encounter in Ecology Island!


Lynette with Puff


Puff settles into Lynette's shoulder


Randy the Rabbit continues to be a favorite!

If you haven't been to see us lately, there are lots of reasons to stop in. Plus, we have some fabulous special events coming up! Visit our website for more information about:

• The Halloween Party (October 31)
• Tea with the Curator: "Mother's Little Helper" (November 17)
  
• The Day After Thanksgiving (November 28)
• Holiday Open House (December 5)
• Open Hearth Cooked Dinner (December 12)
• Tea with the Curator: "Bring Your Doll to Tea!" (December 30)
• Train Workshop (December 30)

Enjoy it all by becoming a MEMBER! Our memberships provide reciprocal admission to hundreds of science centers across the country and around the world. Consider joining today. Or give the gift of membership this holiday season! Click here for details!

The staff is working hard to provide a top-notch experience for our guests. We'd love to see you!

"Mother's Little Helper" Tea with the Curator

This week I am putting the finishing touches on the new Tea with the Curator program "Mothers Little Helper: Shaping Gender Roles Through Toys."

The program includes vintage advertisements, catalogs, and TV commercials, as well as photos of toys from our collection.

Throughout history, the toys children played with were more than just an amusing pastime. Toys taught them about the separate spheres of men and women, and gave them skills they would need as adults. "Mother's Little Helper" examines how gender roles are influenced by toys, and how our views have - or have not - changed in the 21st century.

The Tea is Monday November 17. The cost is $10 per person. Pre-paid reservations may be made by calling 330-455-7043!

Doll exhibit opening a success!

Visit www.moblyng.com to make your own!

Special thanks to Chris for taking pictures at the opening!

We had about 100 people attend the opening of "A Doll's World" on Friday night! Most of the people who came had never been to the museum before, which means I have been able to reach a brand new audience with this exhibit!

The exhibit will be on view through JANUARY 18, 2009. We hope everyone will bring their holiday guests to see these wonderful dolls!

Doll scavenger hunt

(Click on image to make it bigger!)

When you come to the exhibit, pick up a Doll Scavenger Hunt and see if you can find all the dolls listed!!

Article about the doll exhibit

Special thanks to Gary Brown, yet again, for his wonderful article about the doll exhibit!

Click here to read it!

The opening is tomorrow night from 6:00 to 8:00. If you'd like to come, call the museum at 330-455-7043!

Halloween pumpkins

Special thanks to train volunteer Smitty for painting these pumpkins for us again this year!

The Halloween Party will be here soon, and staff is getting ready for it! This year it is actually on Halloween (October 31), from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM.

Stephanie is in charge of this event, and she has been planning for weeks. Volunteers will be in later this week to decorate the museum with ghosts, pumpkins, and witches!

This event is great for families -- kids can trick-or-treat throughout the building, including the Street of Shops and Discover World! A hot dog supper, cooked over the open fire, will be available for purchase. There will be hayrides (weather permitting), fresh squeezed apple cider samples, and lots more!

Best of all, the price is right. Just $5.00 per person! If you sign up and pay in advance, you can stand in a "express line" that will get you in the door quicker and having fun sooner! Call 330-455-7043 to make reservations or stop by the museum.

There will be a costume contest, with these spectacular pumpkins as PRIZES!

Hope to see you there!

Winter Fun!

We've got some great things planned for kids and families for the rest of the year!

(Click on the image below to make it larger)



If you see anything you'd like to sign up for, call 330-455-7043!

Adorable doll photo!

Yesterday I started installation for the doll exhibit and I loaded up a cart full of dolls to take them up to the gallery.

As I was taking the dolls off the cart and placing them in their cases, I saw these two! It looks like Skippy is hitting on Cinderella! I didn't put them on the cart like that intentionally -- maybe he walked up to her when I wasn't looking??

Before I moved them, I just HAD to take a picture.


Madame Alexander "Cinderella" (c1960) on the left, with "Skippy" (c1925) whispering in her ear!

We've lost a good friend...

Dick Turner (left) with Bill Gouge.

Museum volunteer and close friend Dick Turner passed away earlier today after a valiant battle with colon cancer.

He and his wife Jane had become very good friends of ours over the past few years. They have a 1975 Olds Delta 88 and we have a 1969 Olds 442, and we would spend hours parked next to them at car shows all summer long. We were all members of the Northern Ohio Chapter of the Oldsmobile Club of America, and we often went to club meetings, shows, and parties together.

One of our favorite shows to go to was the Thursday night cruise-in at Maize Valley Farms in Hartville. In fact, we were there with them two weeks ago last night with our mutual friend Tom Anderson.

Time would pass so fast when we were together! Before we knew it, the sun would be setting and we had been chatting for hours. It is that time with him that we will always treasure, and most deeply miss.

Dick had been in the hospital in ICU since last Friday. Chris and I found out about it on our way home from Columbus on Saturday and went directly to the hospital, where we have been every night this week. He was not conscious for a few days, but every day this week he improved a little.

Yesterday afternoon they took the tube out of his throat, and when we got there last night he was able to talk! He ate some of his dinner, and we were all feeling very positive. I will never forget the last thing he said to us: "You are sweethearts for coming." And he squeezed each of our hands.

Chris and I are so sad to have lost a good friend, and the museum has lost a wonderful volunteer.

We will miss you so much, Dick!

More dolls!

Just a little teaser! Here are some more of the over 100 dolls that will be on display in A Doll's World, opening October 24 in the Keller Gallery!

Tidbits...

Lots going on! Here are some highlights:

• I have finished the Christmas card / open house invite. Here's a hint: There's a DOLL on it!
• I mounted and laminated all the exhibit panels yesterday
• The newsletter will be coming out in a few weeks -- my articles are finished
• We set dates for Teas and Soups in 2009 -- check back for details!
• My OAHSM program went extremely well -- I had a great time!
• Joyce and I had a conference call with Barb from Split Rock about the final text

It may not look like a long list, but that is what has been sucking up my time this week!

Soup at Six recap

I made a map of all of the graves I talked about, so people could go over and visit them in person, if they chose to. (Click on the image to make it larger)



Beautiful table set-up! (THANKS CHRIS!!)

Everything went great last night! The soup was delicious, as usual. The crowd was a lot of fun, asked great questions, and we even sold some books!

Here are some highlights:


Before I started, I explained the map I made for everyone to take home.



Guests listening to the program.



More guests, from left to right: Board member Dee Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Cordray, Barbara Jackson, and Steve Secrest, our Facilities Manager.



Here I talk about Dr. Lorenzo Whiting, and how there WERE slaves in the North and even in Stark County!



Here I am talking about Cornelius Aultman and the founding of Aultman Hospital.


Special thanks to Chris for setting up the entire room in Stephanie's absence; Joyce, Cindy, and Mel for all their help; and volunteers Pat, Al, Barb, Steve, and Joan -- what a great team! They knew exactly what to do. Thank you everyone for another great job!

We have LOTS of ideas for Soup at Six programs for 2009. As soon as we nail down some dates, I will post them here. This series has been more popular than we ever could have imagined, so thank you to the community for embracing our idea!

Cemeteries and celebrations

I haven't posted in a week because I have been a bit under the weather with salivary gland stones. No fun, believe me.

Anyway, I am all set for my Soup at Six program tonight called "An Armchair Walking Tour of West Lawn Cemetery." It is sold out too! Very exciting. Stephanie is on vacation, so we are doing the Soup without her. But she has everything written out and packed in a box, so we think we can handle it.

Tomorrow I am going to Columbus to speak at OAHSM's annual meeting on "Celebrating & Noting Historical Anniversaries." I am thrilled to be able to relive all the wonderful things we did last year!

I have been working on the doll exhibit all week, making labels, printing panels, etc. Next week I will mount and laminate the panels. I meant to do that this week, but I just haven't felt up to it.

I am really excited about A Doll's World. Visitors are going to love it!