WEST HARTFORD, Conn – The young space explorers in your life will be fascinated by Mars Madness, a monthly program at The New Children’s Museum on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Admission is free to the general public from 3pm to 6pm.
On Wednesday, June 27, test out some of the classroom programs and other activities developed to support the Mars exhibit. Choose to try Dig-In (about Mars soil), Take Flight (about gliders), or Build a Martian Surface. All three classes will be offered throughout along with the “Invaders of Mars” planetarium show at 3:30pm, 4:30pm, and 5:30pm. Pre-registration is not necessary.
In Invaders of Mars, a film now showing in the Travelers Science Dome at the Gengras Digital Planetarium, you will explore the Martian surface as seen by Earth's "invaders" – various spacecraft that have visited the red planet since Viking 1 first landed there in 1976. Fly over great chasms, canyons and volcanoes, land on an icy polar cap, and watch amazing dust devils swirling over the surface of Mars – winds that can ultimately trigger a thunderstorm massive enough to cover the whole planet!
Activities are recommended for children ages 8 and up.
Note that most regular museum exhibits will shut down at 4pm. Mars Madness Monthly Wednesdays are funded through a generous grant from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
The New Children’s Museum features a new outdoor exhibit called "Wild Chimp Challenge!" and the fascinating indoor Dinosaur Jurrasic Treehouse, plus 100 live animals, including the now famous Fennec foxes, hands-on science exhibits, out-of-this-world digital planetarium shows, and programs for younger children and families. The Children’s Museum and Roaring Brook Nature Center are the region’s premiere destinations for science and nature exploration.
The New Children’s Museum is located at 950 Trout Brook Drive in West Hartford and at Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. More information is available at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.
