Day 3.231: Montshire Museum of Science

We said that if we went to Vermont we were almost bound to see a moose - how right we were!

We had a fantastic day - from 10 am to 4 pm (opening to an hour before closing) at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich Vermont.  The place had caught our eye some time ago, but it seems a long way from anywhere, so it took us a while to make the trip - I'm so glad we did!

The museum is relatively small (this is a good thing) and absolutely packed with well-designed and fully functional interactive exhibits - think better versions of the things you find in most science and children's museums - with plenty to hold the attention of kids and adults alike.  Then outside is a 'science park' with a few large exhibits and two huge water features along with several miles of trails on the site at the side of the Connecticut River (which forms the border with New Hampshire).

Inside, the girls did a colour-mixing class - starting with making secondary colours from primaries and ending with trying to match paint sample colours.  We all enjoyed the two George Rhoades Ball Machines and the humour of 'Visco City' and countless other scientific adventures:

Outside, there was plenty of getting wet - a popular activity on a hot sunny day and some walking on shady trails.

All in all this was by some way the best family museum we have visited - and we have been to such well known establishments as the Boston Children's Museum, the Boston Science Museum, the National Museum of Natural History (NYC).  It is a New England treasure and well worth consideration despite the 3+ hour drive to visit from Albany.

I also have some video clips to upload to YouTube in due course - watch this space.