Homeschool Adventure: Creep Crawly Insects at the Bell Museum of Natural History

NAME OF EVENT: Homeschool Adventure: Creep Crawly Insects at the Bell Museum of Natural History (Minneapolis - University of Minnesota (East Bank))

DATE AND TIME OF EVENT: Wednesday, September 23, 10:10 AM - 12:20 PM
PLEASE ARRIVE BY: 10:00 AM
PLACE TO MEET: Lobby Area
LATE ARRIVALS: Please ask at the reception desk for assistance. Please plan to be early to avoid being late.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Insects are the most successful organisms on the planet. They may also be the most misunderstood and maligned. Find out why we couldn't live without them. Meet a variety of insects (and handle some) such as giant hissing cockroaches, 10-inch African millipedes, flesh-eating dermestid beetles, and honey bees. Afterwards tour the diorama halls and visit the Touch and See Room. Please bring a bag lunch to enjoy together in the Bell Museum courtyard after our tour. (If it rains, we may make use of their indoor lunchroom.)

COST:
$5/child ages 3 and up
$5/adult
Free for children under 3

AGE REQUIREMENTS: This activity is geared towards the skills and interests of 5 to 8 year olds, but this is a family activity -- for parents and children wich includes both younger and older siblings.

CAN YOUNGER SIBLINGS ATTEND? Yes! (older ones, too)

PAYMENT DETAILS: You will receive an email with detailed payment instructions once you register for this event. I do not accept paypal or credit cards.

GROUP SIZE RESTRICTIONS: minimum of 8 and maximum of 72 participating children

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Sunday, September 6
PAYMENT DEADLINE: Tuesday, September 8

PLEASE CANCEL NO LATER THAN: Tuesday, September 8
ADDITIONAL CANCELLATION INFORMATION:
* The organizer will be confirming our attendance numbers with the location on the morning of Wednesday, September 9 so if you must cancel after Tuesday, September 8, you will be responsible for finding someone to take your family’s reserved places and for letting me know about the substitution.
* If you find that you must cancel on the day of the event, please let me know as soon as possible. You can reach me by email or phone until the event begins. I can check email on my mobile phone.

ORGANIZER CONTACT INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN YOUR EMAILED PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS AND EVENT REMINDER

WEBSITE OF EVENT LOCATION: http://www.bellmuseum.org

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

After our program you may explore the Bell Museum's two floors of diorama halls which display Minnesota's habitats, along with the birds, animals, plants and insects that populate the state, illustrating what Minnesota was like before the ax and plow. Animals featured include moose, elk, bear, beavers, cranes, fish, and more. The Bell dioramas are famous internationally for their beauty and overall quality.

The Touch and See Room is a hands-on opportunity to explore the natural world and investigate wondrous objects, from a 10,000-year-old wooly mammoth tusk to an elephant skull (or is that a Cyclops?). Friendly staff will take out a turtle for you to touch, help you try on a 40-pound set of moose antlers, or sit down with you to look at animal furs. Everything in the room can be handled by you and your children: snake skins, animal pelts and bones, shells, rocks and fossils can be felt, picked up and examined. You can even step into a dinosaur footprint to see how your feet compare in size.

On your way into the Touch and See Room, be sure to pause and enjoy the aerial view of over 50 different species of fig in the Bell Museum's Tropical Rainforest.

FACILITIES:

- RESTROOMS: are located at the back of the Touch and See Room

- STROLLERS/WAGONS/WHEELCHAIRS: The museum is accessible. The ramp into the building can be found in the museum’s courtyard. Stroller parking is available on the main level.

- FOOD: Please bring a bag lunch and we will enjoy a picnic in the museum’s courtyard after our program

LOCATION ADDRESS:

10 Church St SE
(southwest corner of 17th Ave./Church St. and University Ave. S.E)
Minneapolis - University of Minnesota (East Bank)

GOOGLE MAP: http://tinyurl.com/32pna8
MAPQUEST: http://tinyurl.com/2m9ody

DETAILS ON PARKING: Parking is available just one block or less from the museum at the 4th Street Ramp or Church Street Garage. Parking rates vary, but you should expect to pay from $7 to $10 for ramp parking.

Google Map from Church Street Garage (A) to Bell Museum (B): http://tinyurl.com/3xtn6a

Google Map from 4th Street Ramp (A) to Bell Museum (B): http://tinyurl.com/37wqq9

GENERAL BUS INFORMATION: Metro Transit routes 2B, 2C, 6, 16 and 52
More information at http://www.metrotransit.org