The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will open its doors free of charge on Sunday, March 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors will receive free general admission on this day to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits at no cost, and get hands on with agriculture-themed activities from Kent County Farm Bureau and artifacts from the GRPM Collections.
“Thanks to Kent County Farm Bureau, we are excited to offer the community the chance to explore the Museum free of charge again this year,” said Kate Moore, Vice President of Marketing & PR at the GRPM. The Kent County Farm Bureau is sponsoring the event. “The GRPM continues to be the West Michigan hub for hands-on science, history and cultural education, and continue to increase access to the Collections for all.”
“On behalf of more than 1,200 Kent County Farmers, Kent County Farm Bureau is excited to welcome our City family and friends to the Grand Rapids Public Museum to see agriculture in action,” said Kent County Farm Bureau Board President Jim May.
The GRPM offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids, and West Michigan Habitats, that showcases the vast wildlife found in West Michigan.
The current traveling exhibit Water’s Extreme Journey will be included free of charge for visitors on the Museum’s Free Day. Visitors will become a water droplet as they enter an experiential maze to learn about water conservation.
Additional experiences for visitors include the special traveling exhibit Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids, planetarium shows and the Museum’s 1928 Spillman Carousel – that are available for an additional charge.
The free day will be held during the Museum’s normal hours, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. For more information on the event, visit grpm.org.
Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids
Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids features models and replicas of preserved specimens as well as cast fossils of prehistoric animals to investigate how they could have, through misidentification, speculation, fear, or imagination, inspired the development of some legendary creatures.
Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids offers many interactive stations throughout the exhibition. Visitors can build their own dragon on an engaging touch-screen and watch it come alive before their eyes in a virtual environment.
Visitors touch casts of a narwhal tusk to discover how they lent credence to the centuries-old belief in the unicorn. Hands-on stations also include the lower jaw of Gigantopithecus (extinct group of apes) and a life-size reproduction of the talon of a Haast’s eagle.
Admission to Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids is $12 for adults, $7 for children, $9 for Kent County resident adults, $4 for Kent County resident children, and $2 for all Museum members! Tickets include general admission to the Museum.
Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org), in collaboration with the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau-Quebec; Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta; and The Field Museum, Chicago.
