Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum: Reach for the stars
Published: Apr 14, 2009
At Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum it's your mission to explore the solar system. So go ahead, reach for the stars, hang out with dinosaurs, play with a rainbow or find a gem. You can do it all without ever leaving Georgia.
The Tellus museum is every parent's and educator's dream: a place where children love to learn!
Because Tellus covers so many different aspects of science and history, the museum is broken down into four galleries. They include, the Weinman Mineral Gallery, the Fossil Gallery, the Science in Motion Gallery and the Collins Family My Big Backyard Gallery.
More than 50 cases containing minerals, gold and gems are located in the mineral gallery, where visitors learn how the earth was formed and what makes up its crust.
Creatures of every kind reside in the fossil gallery, including a Tyrannosaurus rex and a 9-foot wide jaw of a Megaladon (an ancient shark bigger than today's school buses).
The Science in Motion Gallery offers insight into the history of transportation, from the automobile to the space shuttle.
And finally, the Collins Family My Big Backyard Gallery becomes the playground for little "scientists" conducting everyday experiments like light refraction, sound wave structure, and the discovery of magnetic properties.
The museum also boasts an observatory and digital planetarium, and there's a fossil dig and gem-panning area for children.
The planetarium transports visitors to the farthest reaches of the universe (and beyond) to learn about black holes, the potential of other life forms and the patterns of galaxies. On special nights, Tellus opens its observatory for stargazing events.
Tellus visitors are able to go home with a goodie bag, of sorts. Youngsters are invited to sift through sand and water to find "precious" gems and even fossils (shark teeth and snail shells are among things hidden in the archeological dig). They'll never leave empty handed.
The museum will work with education groups to organize outings and planetarium field trips. But, learning isn't only for the young; adult seminars and topics are also open to the public.
The Tellus hosts meetings, weddings and more. For information call (770) 606-5700 ext. 413.
- by Christine Foster, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
(Click to leave a message)
