Pinball Wizard
Virtual Workshop
for ages 9-12
Polar Science: explore the Under the Arctic exhibition before joining museum staff in this family friendly and hands-on introduction to the freezing cold science of the Arctic!
Have you seen stories about smart home devices being hacked or home guests making unauthorized purchases on smart speakers? Join a team of security & privacy researchers from Dartmouth and the SPLICE research team for a hands-on night of learning about smart home devices, vulnerabilities, and how to protect yourself from common security and privacy threats!
- FREE admission – invite your neighbors to join!
- No technical background required
- Light snacks & Refreshments provided
Produced by Dartmouth College and hosted by the Montshire Museum of Science. Event is free and open to the public but pre-registration is requested. Register here.
The Montshire Museum of Science is excited to present Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost, a special exhibition anchoring the Montshire’s focus on climate education and environmental sustainability. In Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost, visitors will investigate climate chemistry, learn about the environmental and engineering challenges posed by thawing permafrost, and be moved by true stories of human upheaval, adaptation and ingenuity in the face of changing landscapes.
The exhibition will be on display at the Montshire from May 27 to September 4, 2023.
Why This Exhibition Matters Now
Currently, around 15% of the Northern Hemisphere (6.9 million square miles) is underlain by permafrost, a thick layer of soil, gravel, and sand bound by ice that remains permanently frozen. Permafrost traps enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, and thawing permafrost has dramatic implications for the global climate. Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost looks at climate change through the lens of a thawing Arctic and highlights the importance of science and engineering research in helping us understand and adapt to changes in climate.
The Exhibition Experience
In Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost, guests enter the Field Lab, where they can step into the shoes of climate science researchers to solve engineering and environmental challenges posed by thawing permafrost, explore interactive games and experiments, marvel at real Ice Age fossils, and learn creative ways to take individual and community action on climate change. The exhibition also shares stories of adaptation and resiliency from people whose traditions and ways of life are being impacted by rapid environmental changes.
The key feature of the exhibition is a walk-in replica of the Western Hemisphere’s only permafrost research tunnel, located in Fox, Alaska and operated by Hanover, New Hampshire’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). The tunnel is an immersive environment that reveals the sights and even the smells of permafrost, demonstrating how scientists study fossils, ancient ice cores, and organic matter to learn about the causes and future implications of thawing permafrost.
Under the Arctic: Digging into Permafrost was produced and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The exhibition was developed in collaboration with the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and made possible by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.
Generously sponsored in part by:
Adimab
Chroma Technology Corporation
Bio X Cell
LCS Controls, Inc.
More to Explore
EARTH DAY FESTIVAL: New Event at the Montshire
Norwich, Vermont — The Montshire Museum of Science is hosting its first “Earth Day Festival” on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023 from 10:30am to 4:30 pm.
At this special Saturday event we invite visitors to celebrate and protect our planet by learning about home projects that increase biodiversity, tackling hands-on repair and reuse, and expanding mindfulness through nature-based experiences.
Explore the Compost Petting Zoo and learn everything you need to know about home composting from expert Ham Gillett. Create a collage with artist Kris Cairelli, learn to sew with mending experts from the Upper Valley Sew-Op and introduce the kids to gardening for biodiversity with Montshire Executive Director and biologist Lara Litchfield-Kimber.
A special Earth Day raffle features a composting bucket full of Earth Day themed products from the Montshire Museum Store. The store will be packed with earth friendly items, including NOSO repair patches, Hudson Valley Seeds and recycled produce bags from Earthwise.
Event admission is free with regular paid Museum admission. Admission is free for children under the age of two and for members. Free event parking is available at the Museum.
This event is part of Learning Ecosystems Northeast, a network of in- and out-of-school educators funded by NASA’s Science Activation Program led by Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
About The Montshire Museum of Science
The Montshire Museum of Science forges and empowers lifelong learners through engagement with science.
Located in beautiful Norwich, VT, the Montshire Museum of Science is open seven days a week from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Daily admission is $18 for adults and $15 for children ages 2-17. The Museum is free for members and children under the age of two. Memberships are available. Visit montshire.org or call 802-649-2200 for more information.
The Montshire Museum of Science is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is supported by admission, membership, grants, and charitable contributions.
Gather with us for an Earth Day celebration at the Montshire!
At this special Saturday event we invite visitors to celebrate and protect our planet by learning about home projects that increase biodiversity, tackling hands-on repair and reuse, and expanding mindfulness through nature-based experiences.
Explore the Compost Petting Zoo and learn everything you need to know about home composting from expert Ham Gillett. Create a collage with artist Kris Cairelli, and learn to sew with mending experts from the Upper Valley Sew-Op. A special Earth Day raffle features a composting bucket full of Earth Day themed products from the Montshire Museum Store.
Event admission is free with regular paid Museum admission. Admission is free for children under the age of two and for members. Free event parking is available at the Museum.
Celebrate the science of spring as we delve into the diversity and adaptations of the plant kingdom from flowers to seeds, ferns to trees. We’ll be sorting, identifying, experimenting, and pulling out our microscopes to get a new and up-close look into the biology of botany. We will meet on Tuesdays, April 18, and 25, and May 2.
Chemistry In Action
Get ready to mix things up with some messy hands-on experiments! We’ll be exploring the chemical properties of household items through fun and safe experiments as well as looking closely at some more exotic reactions to better understand the tiny molecules that make up the matter around us.
We’ll explore what makes us feel safe as we read the book “Parachute” by Danny Parker and then make our own miniature parachute to launch off the museum balcony.
The Montshire is proud to be partnering with the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the IF/THEN® Initiative to present This Is What A Scientist Looks Like: Representation in STEM Careers.
Did you know? According to the US Census, women make up half of the work force in the United States, yet comprise only a third of people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. This means that we’re missing diverse perspectives and ideas that may help us solve some of today’s most pressing challenges.
Located in our upstairs gallery, this special exhibition is a tribute to today’s women scientists, and its images seek to inspire the next generation of innovators.
“This is What a Scientist Looks Like” is part of a digital library of images provided by the IF/THEN® Collection. For more information, go to ifthenshecan.org. We are grateful to the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the IF/THEN® Initiative for their generous support of this exhibition.
A new activity every day - you may get to examine skulls, test a paper rocket, or meet a live insect up close!
A new activity every afternoon - you may get to experiment with electricity, build a parachute or explore the fossil collection.
Astronomy Day is happening with a twist for 2023!
Join us for opportunities to meet working astronomers and participate in hands-on astronomy activities and demonstrations.
The twist? The Montshire exhibit halls will be staying open late with presentations from astronomers and the New Hampshire Astronomical Society, and we’ll have telescopes outside for viewing the night sky!
Also joining us are speakers from the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People. They will be sharing stories and guided activities with visitors.
Students will explore the Montshire’s insect collection to learn about insect diversity, adaptations and life cycles in this VERY hands on workshop series that includes live bugs in every class.
Students will explore the Montshire’s insect collection to learn about insect diversity, adaptations and life cycles in this VERY hands on workshop series that includes live bugs in every class.
It’s an exciting time in space science! Students will get a better understanding of our place in the universe and some of the most incredible discoveries through a series of hands-on experiments and eye-popping demonstrations!
Igloo Build for 2023 has been canceled.
With mud underfoot and no snow in the forecast, we have decided to cancel the build for this year.
We are going to get inspiration from the book “Rollercoaster” by Marla Frazee and work together to build our own marble coasters all across the Montshire classroom.
Enjoy FOUR SUNDAYS of savings in the Museum Store
Choose from the Museum Store’s unique collection of science and nature-related products. You’ll find science kits, puzzles, games, ukuleles, art supplies, nature guides, art calendars, toys, books, journals, jewelry, and great stocking stuffers!
Savings Include:
- 25% savings on all Museum Store purchases for members
- 20% savings on all Museum Store purchases for non-members
- Employees of MBP member companies enjoy 25% savings during MBP Employee Appreciation Day on December 4, 2022
Enter our in-store raffle to win a jumbo plush fox for you or someone on your gift list!
Why does Earth have so many different types of rocks? We’ll explore the rock cycle using the Montshire’s rock collection, comparing igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and how they can transform from one type of rock into another. We’ll do (some messy) experiments on weathering and erosion; and get to examine some of our special collections of fossils and meteorites.
This program has three required sessions on November 1, 8, & 15 2022.
In her presentation, Jennifer will explore the philosophy of Cultivating Place, her national, public radio program and international podcast based on the belief that gardens/gardeners are powerful agents and spaces for potentially positive change in our world, helping to address challenges as wide ranging as climate change, habitat loss, cultural polarization, and individual and communal health and being.
Jennifer Jewell is the host of the national award-winning weekly public radio program and podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden. She is the author of the award-winning The Earth in Her Hands: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants (Timber Press, 2020), and Under Western Skies: Visionary Gardens from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast (Timber Press, 2021). Her greatest passion is elevating the way we think and talk about gardening, the empowerment of gardeners, and the possibility inherent in the intersection between culture and gardens.
This program is produced in partnership with the Montshire Museum of Science, and is free and open to the public. It will be held in-person (with refreshments!) and online, register here for the Zoom link.
Design and build your own working, cardboard pinball machine around a theme of your choice. Together we will engineer the launchers and flippers. Use your creativity to transform the playing surface with obstacles and colorful designs.
| Age Group | Ages 9–12 |
| Dates | November 1–22 (4 classes) |
| Frequency | Mondays on Zoom |
| Time | 1–2:15pm |
| Capacity | 7 participants/session |
| Cost | Members: $120 Non-members: $140 Warm Welcome Members: $60 |
PLEASE NOTE:
- Pre-registration at least 7 days in advance of program start-date.
- Kits for pre-registered families will be available for pick up at the Museum Store of Montshire Museum of Science 7 days prior to the program start date.If you are unable to pick up your kit, we can mail kits for a $15 shipping and handling fee.
- During the workshop, a Museum Educator will lead learners through activities via Zoom.
- Zoom links will be sent to registered participants a few days prior to the workshop.