Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Cleveland
One of the oldest institutions of its kind in the United States, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History began in the 1830s in a two-room building filled with taxidermy mammals and birds that was often called the “Ark” because of its comprehensive collection.
Today, the museum encompasses more than 5 million artifacts and specimens and 6,000 acres of protected land, and the research activities of the staff take the exploratory ideals of its founders to new levels, unearthing prehistoric human remains in Ethiopia and new dinosaur species in Montana.
As the museum has such a far-reaching mission, group programs extend outside the walls of the collections into the surrounding natural areas. In addition to hands-on educational programs in the galleries, naturalists lead hikes, bike rides, and birding and insect-watching programs in the fens and bogs around the museum that are open to the public.
In the museum, the Blue Planet Café, focused on healthful, sustainable cuisine, can accommodate group dining, and the museum also has space for groups to eat prepacked lunches, though it is limited and must be booked in advance. Group-visit slots for the museum and dining fill up quickly, so book as far in advance as you can, particularly for the popular guided live-animal and Shafran Planetarium programs.
University of Nebraska State Museum
Lincoln, Nebraska
An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Nebraska State Museum offers visitors the opportunity to see scientific research in action as they do investigations in each gallery on topics from native American anthropology to prehistoric fossils to botany.
“We don’t do tours in the way a lot of museums do,” said Kathleen French, education coordinator. “We’re just starting a volunteer program that will do minitours, but our museum educators provide materials by mail once you make a reservation and materials in the galleries that reinforce the experiences. If you read everything, you’ll be very well informed.”
For many visitors, the museum’s famous Elephant Hall and the Mesozoic Gallery, which features articulated complete fossils from Nebraska in the age of the dinosaurs, is a highlight of the trip. The museum also has the 80-seat Mueller Planetarium, which offers 360-degree views of a computer-generated dome sky. Groups are encouraged to book a few weeks in advance at a minimum, as the interactive experiences can fill up months in advance.
The student union, one block from the museum, provides quick-dining options, among them a local restaurant that features favorites of the Nebraska Czech community.
