Tag Archives: Kent County Farm Bureau

Grand Rapids Public Museum to host free day March 15

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Finny, the finback whale skeleton, greats visitors as the enter the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)

Editor’s Note: This event has been postpone.

By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that in partnership with Kent County Farm Bureau, they will be offering a Museum Free Day for the third year in a row. On March 15, 2020, the GRPM will open their doors free of charge for visitors to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits. 

“We’re thrilled to offer a Free Day at the Museum to the community for yet another year,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “We truly appreciate our partnership with the Kent County Farm Bureau because it continues to give the gift of curiosity for visitors of all to explore science, history and culture at the Museum without the barrier of an admission fee.”

The Free Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. Kent County Farm Bureau will have additional agriculture themed hands-on activities available as part of the day. Visitors can participate in an apple taste test and vote on their favorite apple variety, as well as learn how to milk a cow by interacting with “Casey the Cow” a life-size cow figure. Educational handouts of My Food Plate will be distributed as well as free apples, and other snacks on a first come, first serve basis. For additional information or to reserve your free ticket, please visit grpm.org, click the purchase tickets link and select March 15 for date of visit to receive free admission.

“Kent County Farm Bureau looks forward to once again partnering with the Grand Rapids Public Museum to welcome friends into the Museum free of charge,” said Bill Seif, Kent County Farm Bureau President. “On behalf of more than 1,200 Kent County farmers, we are delighted to work with the GRPM to continue inviting the community to learn more about our agriculture and food production through this experience.” 

The GRPM is a place of never-ending inspiration and discovery, featuring three floors of hands-on fun and educational exhibits for visitors of all ages to explore. 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, an exhibit that showcases the vast wildlife found in West Michigan.

Take a trip down memory lane in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “TOYS!” exhibit.

Special exhibits TOYS! and Design Zone will be included free of charge for visitors to enjoy on the Museum’s Free Day. TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generational exhibition of toys and games that rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. In Design Zone, visitors explore a variety of concepts to learn the processes and tools needed to create a successful design by engaging with interactive games and activities.

 

Additional experiences for visitors include the special traveling exhibit Bodies Revealed and planetarium shows that are available for an additional charge.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum is located at 272 Pearl St. SW. For more information, visit grpm.org.

Free day at the Public Museum set for March 10

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By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced that in partnership with Kent County Farm Bureau, they will be offering a Museum Free Day for the second year in a row! On March 10, the GRPM will open their doors free of charge for visitors to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits.

“We’re thrilled to offer a free day at the Museum to the community again this year,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “Thanks to Kent County Farm Bureau, everyone has the chance to explore the Museum free of charge and explore hands-on science, history and cultural artifacts.”

“Kent County Farm Bureau looks forward to once again partnering with the GRPM to welcome friends into the Museum free of charge,” said Jim May, Kent County Farm Bureau President. “On behalf of the more than 1,200 Kent County farmers, we invite you to the Museum to see agriculture in action!”

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 GRPM original exhibit TOYS! will be included free of charge for visitors on the Museum’s Free Day! TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generational exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones.

On March 10 only, Kent County Farm Bureau will also have additional agriculture themed hands-on activities available a part of the Free Day. For additional information, please visit grpm.org. 

Additional experiences for visitors include the special traveling exhibit Expedition: Dinosaur, 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 10. For more information on the event, visit grpm.org.

Two happy children are having fun pretending to be in the dinosaur jaw. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)

Expedition: Dinosaur

A special traveling exhibition now open at the GRPM, Expedition: Dinosaur explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils! From life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations, visitors become paleontologists. The exhibit taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures and includes a number of hands- on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today. For more information and tickets, visit grpm.org/Dinos.

Expedition: Dinosaur was developed by Stage Nine Exhibitions. 

Take a trip down memory lane in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “TOYS!” exhibit. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)

TOYS! 

Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not.

TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. This GRPM original exhibit features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from the community, allowing visitors to imagine, compete and create, while taking going on a journey of toys through generations.

Through the design process of the exhibition, the Museum worked with several experts from the community making sure the design was as inclusive as possible so everyone visiting can enjoy it. The exhibition will be presented in both English and Spanish, and will also include Braille.

Grand Rapids Public Museum to Host Free Day March 18

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Finny, the finback whale skeleton, greats visitors as they enter the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

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.

 

Another popular exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum is the Streets of Old Grand Rapids.

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 runs through May 20 at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

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.  

 

Dragons, Unicorns, and Mermaids explores how some animals could have been misidentified as mythical creatures. 

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.