Page 75 - North State Parent September 2023

NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE FALL/WINTER 2023 MUSEUMS & HISTORICAL SITES
Love To Learn: North State Museums Hold True Treasures
BY JENNA CHRISTOPHERSEN AND STACEY LEIGH MOHR
“Museum.” For some, this word piques excitement and interest. For many, it evokes bored childhood memories of hushed voices, slowly plodding steps, and the ever-
constant scolding: “Don’t touch that!”
If you fall into the latter category, it might be time
to give museums another try. Among its many treasures, the North State can boast top-quality museums that feature everything from modern science to local history. Hands-on activities entertain young children, interactive experiments intrigue older kids, and relevant, informative exhibits fascinate all ages.
The region’s local museums turn learning into a fun process of discovery. Spending time in these kid-friendly environments can also teach positive public behavior, like using indoor voices to avoid frightening an animal, or taking turns with other kids at an experiment table.
Check out this list to see some of the treasure-filled museum options the North State has to offer.
Mt. Shasta Sisson Museum; Mt. Shasta. If your kids love trains, this is the museum for them. But they won’t just be looking at train exhibits. They’ll get a feel for the trains through the interactive railroad diorama, including functional trains, cows that moo and sheep that baa. Inside an authentic recreation of a train station office, they can sit in a big chair with all the gauges and dials from a real locomotive, and using the video and the controls, guide the train down the tracks. Children of all ages will have fun exploring a late 1800’s era cabin. Or they can climb through a lava tube in the Mt. Shasta Inside Out exhibit, learn about all types of volcanoes and get up close to giant crystals and fascinating rocks formed in our local volcanoes. In the Lulabelle Firetruck exhibit, kids can sit in the driver's seat of a fully interactive 1915 Mt. Shasta firetruck and imagine themselves on the way to fighting a fire. Got some very young explorers in your family? They’ll love the museum activity room filled with books, toys and activities for young children. The museum is open April through December, Thursday through Sunday10 am to 4 pm, and is free of charge. mtshastamuseum.com
Valene D. Smith Museum of Anthropology; Chico. Since its inception in 1970, the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology has served as a multifaceted educational facility. The museum is deeply committed to cultural programming and community collaboration, offering free K-12 school tours, lectures, and community events. Current exhibitions include Deeply Rooted: How Soil Connects Us & On Location: Film Tourism Around the World. Visitors to the soil show will marvel at the subterranean tunnel and soil horizon table that offer insights into how rainfall and volcanic activity shaped our region. The exhibit also recognizes the Mechoopda tribe’s enduring presence on the land with stories and art by current tribal members. For movie buffs, the Film Tourism show is an invitation to explore famous movies and their filming locations. Watch clips from fan favorites, take a movie location quiz, and think about spaces and places movies create for us all. The museum is centrally located on Chico State campus at the Meriam Library complex and is open Tue-Sat, 11am-3pm. Free admission. www.csuchico.edu/anthmuseum Ó
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Turtle Bay Exploration Park is the largest science and art museum in the North State.