The holidays are a great time to bring families together, but for many, last week’s break meant juggling family members and kids in crowded homes, and planning activities to amuse everyone.
The Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium offered a fun change of pace for families of all ages during the school break last week. The museum featured daily activities and an extended planetarium schedule to keep kids busy and parents from going nuts cooped up inside their homes. A bonus was that the museum wasn’t just exciting for kids, but adults were entertained as well.
Judging from their reactions, kids were entranced by the model train exhibit brought to the museum by the Upstate Model Train Association. An elaborate display of model trains chugged around the tracks equipped with real steam in the steam engines, and a small theme park with working Ferris wheel dazzled museumgoers as they entered the building.
Children also seemed to enjoy the Power House exhibit that featured a platform for them to stand on and watch as their hair stood up with electric energy.
Carolyn Yelich from St. Louis, Mo., was in town visiting family in Delmar and decided to make the trip to Schenectady with four children to see a planetarium show.
It’s a great thing to do to get out of the house, Yelich said.
At the GE Research and Development area, kids entered a lighted room, stood against the wall, and when the light went off, their shadows stuck to it. This was an exciting concept for children of all ages ` and plenty of parents too.
Also on display was an exhibit about SI Group, formerly Schenectady International Inc., a chemical manufacturer that has done work to make tires safer, the paint on road signs reflective and CDs smooth enough so information can be played back.
Barbara Hodge from Greenfield visited the museum with her two daughters. She said, `I’m 44 and still learning. Today I learned that Silly Putty was manufactured in the area.` Hodge said her husband is an inventor, and she couldn’t wait to take him back to the museum to see the neat stuff.
Kasey Hodge, 9, took part in the day’s activity about physics. The children made pinwheels that, when spun, showed a worm crawling a lot like a primitive cartoon.
`This is a really fun place,` Kasey Hodge said. `There is a lot to do.`
The Hodges came to the museum to see a planetarium show, but even with the extended schedule, the shows were sold out. The Hodges said they weren’t too disappointed because they had plenty to do at the museum to fill their day.
The museum’s feature exhibit really came to life with 3-D glasses. The gallery of pictures was extremely popular. The children enjoyed the 3-D movie that was playing and adults enjoyed the photographs that popped off the page and created a life like image.
David and Jenelle Anderson, from Glenville, brought their three children to the museum to see a planetarium show, but since it was sold out, were passing time in the 3-D exhibit.
David Anderson said he enjoys the museum because he works for General Electric, and many of the exhibits are about the company. Jenelle Anderson said her family comes to the museum a lot.
`It’s a quick trip, and we like to see all the new stuff,` she said.
The museum’s director of communications and marketing, Erin Breslin, said the museum is in the business of marketing to families.
`That includes everyone from grandparents to very young children to teenagers and every age group in between,` Breslin said.
Breslin said the museum is changing its image to become a more hands-on place. Many of the new exhibits, including Power House, give children the chance to play while learning. Breslin said the museum likes `hands-on, brains-on` activities.
The museum’s busiest weeks are during school break times in December, February and April, so the museum steps it up, offering activities for children Tuesday through Friday and extending the planetarium schedule to four shows a day.
Breslin said visiting the museum is extremely economical for a family. Admission costs $5 and includes all exhibits and the day’s activity. Planetarium shows cost just an additional $2.50. It beats taking your children to a movie that costs nearly $10 and usually only entertains one age group.
The model train exhibit is on display through Jan. 15, and the 3-D exhibit is on display through Jan. 12. For information, visit www.schenectadymuseum.org or call 382-7890. “