American Museum of Science and Energy

Cade was on spring break, last week, and--while Jim worked remotely from his mama's--the kids and I visited the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The little kids and I had actually visited a couple weeks before, but Cade (with his extra eyes and hands) made it possible for me to take in a couple things I hadn't on the earlier trip: namely, the flat-top house and the photography of Ed Westcott.

The present AMSE facility opened in 1975, but it's nice for an older museum and (take it from me) includes something for everyone all the way down to the youngest of toddlers. I remember some of its offerings--especially the Van de Graaff generator and "Secret City" exhibit--from my visits as a preteen and/or teen. Our family is spending so much time in East Tennessee right now that it made sense to purchase an annual membership, especially since we can now visit many other ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) museums for free.

I took each of the following photos on one of our two visits to AMSE in April. I took most in either Exploration Station (the most toddler-friendly, permanent exhibit) or the auditorium, where we learned about the hair-raising Van de Graaff generator. But despite AMSE's name, it's a museum of history as well as a museum of science and energy, and for the most part, I failed to photograph the exhibits regarding the history of Oak Ridge, the Manhattan Project, and World War II, in general. If you're interested in these subjects, I can't recommend AMSE highly enough.

To read more about the exhibits of the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, click here.