Friday, October 20, 2006

Hometown Tourist - Part Deux

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Well, it seems as if the Science Museum of Virginia is the place to be, these days.

I was there on Monday, and President Bush was there last night for a campaign fundraiser.

And I think I may go back tonight for LiveSky and perhaps a Sky Watch.

It's quite the happenin' place!

Here's a little history about the building, (click any photo to enlarge):

Before it was a museum, it was a train station (1919-1975)
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Old postcard from 1920-1930's era
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A couple of mid-century postcards
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The museum facade today
(I love how the original copper dome is now verdigris)
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If that dome looks familiar, it's probably because the building was designed by the same architect as the Jefferson Memorial.
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Images you might recognize from Tuesday's video


Foucault Pendulum
demonstrates the rotation of the earth

pendulum knocks over one pin every 24 minutes

Another huge marble globe - this one does not rotate
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globe close-up: Aloha!
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giant chess board


train mural
*Aluminaut
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remnant of a bygone era
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exterior & interior of an old caboose,
which can now be rented for kids' birthday parties
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I love this mural and mobile
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good boys & girls might get to ride a Segway
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I enjoyed this planetarium show
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gift shop t-shirt

Next door to the Science Museum:

Mmmm -- cookies!
(Does anyone know -- are they still in business?)
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And across Broad Street from the Science Museum:


1930's postcard - William Byrd hotel


1940's postcard - William Byrd hotel
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former William Byrd hotel building, today
(Does anyone know what this is used for nowadays?)


In summary, I think the Science Museum has a lot to offer. There are many interactive exhibits for kids, my favorite being any of the astronomy-related ones. The IMAX and planetarium shows are entertaining for all ages.

3 comments:

Having a Knit Fitt said...

The cookie factory is still functioning. They make Girl Scout cookies there.
The William Byrd is now an apartment building for the elderly.
Cate

knitfriendly said...

Looks like you had a good time!

Courtney said...

I didn't think I missed Richmond, but now I'm thinking that maybe I do miss it a little bit. The Richmond Symphony has a concert series there called Kicked Back Classics that takes place at the Science Museum. It's somewhat family oriented, but they also serve beer and wine and it's generally a good time. Some of the ladies in my SnB here in Texas were asking about knitting at a concert and I thought of the Kicked Back Classics. That would be the perfect concert series for knitting.