Tuesday, April 29, 2014

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.

5 comments:

  1. WOW! What a neat place to visit! I want to go there. Your pictures are great. I am glad the electricity got to Cade's head so he stood still for pictures! And the younger ones look so thrilled! The one with Cade and the ball and the indentation on the plasma ball is awesome. Great lighting, perfect timing! I also love the one where he's holding his brother. A wonderful record of a wonderful family trip!!! You've got a great eye. Great pictures!

    Peace <3
    Jay

    ReplyDelete
  2. Next time you're in town (if you haven't done it already) visit the SHS Museum. They now have a Learning Annex for kids that's pretty cool!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, thanks for the heads up! I'll make a point of taking the kids to the SHS Museum!

      Delete
  3. It looks like a cool place! And I always love your pictures. Those hair pictures! You are and excellent photographer, lady. You capture such a fun mood here! I can't believe so much time has gone by since we chatted. It seems like we got off the phone and the speed of life increased exponentially. But did I say how much I enjoyed hearing your voice? I do hope one day we will make it work to meet up. I just know we'd have a good time :). Maybe a hair-raising one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like a great place to visit, fun for all!

    ReplyDelete