Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice Roars Into Kidzeum May 27
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
Exhibit Utilizes New Research to Create Distinct Dinosaur Environments
SPRINGFIELD — Kidzeum of Health and Science in downtown Springfield is hosting a dyno-mite traveling exhibit from the Minnesota Children’s Museum. The exhibit is sponsored by the Tracy Family Foundation and the Don and Wanda Tracy Charity Fund of the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. The exhibit coincides with expanded summer hours that begin on May 30, when the museum will be open 9-4 every day through September 3. Every Tuesday from 9-noon is a designated sensory-friendly visit time. Kidzeum will also be open until 7 p.m. for First Fridays: June 2, July 7 and August 4. Every day of the week, Kidzeum has admission discounts for EBT/Link/WIC cardholders, retired/active military, seniors and ACM/ASTC members. Kidzeum also recently added a new Impact Membership for EBT/Link/WIC which is $30 per year.
The opening will include a presentation by Henson Robinson Zoo, sand tables in the courtyard, a dinosaur dance party, story time with Officer Pflug, and crafts and science activities. Kidzeum members have VIP status for the day.
Long before the Midwest was populated by corn fields and cows, dinosaurs roamed the land. A brand-new exhibit created by Minnesota Children’s Museum will allow children and adults to explore dinosaur habitats to better understand how these mysterious animals lived and use inquiry skills to examine what they left behind. Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice transports families back to the Cretaceous Period (145 – 65 million years ago), the time when dinosaurs last lived on earth.
Children will go face-to-face with the prehistoric world and meet dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. The exhibit, created for children ages 3 – 10, will feature two distinct environments and a variety of activities. A Field Research Station allows children to step into the role of paleontologist by uncovering fossils with brushes and creating digital drawings of the dinosaur environment.
The steamy “Land of Fire” connects visitors with prehistoric home of the Triceratops and T-Rex. Children can circle the land in insect costumes and buzz through a volcano. Work through a swampy bog and identify an ecosystem of animals and plants. No coats are needed for a trip across the “Land of Ice” where visitors meet two dinosaurs, a Troodon and Edmontosaurus, who made their homes in the cold climate of Alaska. Activities include: climbing rocky steps, breezing down an icy slide, and stacking tubes to create a food chain.
Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice utilizes new research about climates in which dinosaurs were able to survive and thrive. The discovery of numerous species of dinosaurs in the arctic is causing scientists to reconsider old theories about dinosaurs only living in tropical climates. It is now known that many dinosaurs, including Edmontosaurus and Troodon, lived in cold weather climates for at least part of the year. The exhibit will run through September 3.
Special Opening Day Admission Sponsored by Illinois Bright Start
In addition to the new exhibit, admission on May 27th will be reduced to just $5.29 thanks to a donation from Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Illinois’ Bright Start 529 College Savings Plan. A 529 plan is a type of investment account that can be used to save for higher education, including colleges, universities, trade schools, apprenticeships, and graduate programs. Illinois families that save for college with Bright Start can receive tax savings benefits in addition to providing their students with a financial foundation to pursue higher education. Bright Start made the donation in honor of National College Savings Day which occurs on May 29th.
“We are proud to partner with the Kidzeum of Health and Science to celebrate their new dinosaur exhibit and to honor National College Savings Day,” said Treasurer Frerichs, the administrator of Bright Start. “Bright Start and Kidzeum have a shared goal of ensuring every child in Illinois has the opportunity to explore their dreams through learning and discovery. By saving for college with a Bright Start plan, families are able to give their children the gift of higher education to pursue their dream career.”
Kidzeum of Health and Science is located at 412 E. Adams Street in downtown Springfield, Illinois. The museum is designed to give children ages two-to-ten a fun and hands-on way to learn. It opened its doors to the public for the first time on July 21, 2018.
Active Alex, a three-story structure and the only one of its kind, offers visitors climbing space and larger-than-life displays about the human body. Play specialists offer additional information on specific exhibits throughout the museum. Kidzeum also has dedicated rooms for birthday parties, meeting spaces and other entertainment options on the third floor.
For information about Kidzeum of Health & Science, visit Kidzeum.org.
