Brown's Guide to Georgia

A visit to the Museum of Arts and Sciences is like a trip around the world! Where else can you see works of fine art, observe animals that live in tropical forests, study the culture of different civilizations, and even explore the wonders of outer space, all at one location? The Museum includes three galleries with frequently changing exhibitions and the Discovery House, which features fun, hands-on activities for the whole family. Explore from your backyard to the universe with daily programs in the Mini-Zoo and Mark Smith Planetarium. Also visit the observatory, nature trails, garden, and Museum Store.

ART AND SCIENCE GALLERIES
Because it has a broad mission and desires to serve numerous constituencies, the Museum showcases changing and permanent exhibitions in both the arts and sciences. The Museum presents an extensive schedule of changing exhibitions, many from its permanent collection, traveling exhibitions, or private collections.

THE DISCOVERY HOUSE
The Discovery House features three floors of interactive exhibits exploring art, science, and humanities. The top floor features the Artist’s Garret, which allows visitors to create their own works of art with simple supplies or sit quietly in the Dream Room, listening to the sounds surrounding them. The Humanist’s Study, on the main level, showcases some of the Museum’s permanent collections including butterflies, arrowheads, dolls, and much more. In the basement, Scientist’s Workshop visitors can communicate through whisper tubes, figure out how things work at the workbenches, and dig for fossils in the Ziggy Dig, which is below an installation of the 40 million-year-old whale fossil, Zygorhiza.

THE MINI-ZOO
Adjacent to the Discovery House, the Mini-Zoo is centered around a replica Banyan Tree and is home to the Museum’s collection of live animals. Housing a variety of animal species, the Mini-Zoo contains forest, pond, and desert habitats. The Museum’s living collection contains approximately 60 animals, including invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Tours of the Mini-Zoo are presented to visitors daily.

MARK SMITH PLANETARIUM
The Mark Smith Planetarium has taken audiences on journeys through time and space for over 40 years. The planetarium’s star projector recreates the night sky with over 4,000 twinkling stars. More than 30 computer controlled slide projectors, video projectors, special effects, and a surround sound system create environments for learning about the final frontier. Planetarium shows are presented daily. Each Friday, the Sky Over Macon program provides the latest information about current and upcoming celestial events. The Museum Observatory features several telescopes for taking close-up looks at far-out celestial objects. The observatory is open every Friday night when the sky is clear and also during special astronomical events.

GEORGIA POWER SWEET GUM TRAIL AND
ELAM ALEXANDER OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
Offering visitors a wonderful view of native plants and animals, a pond, and the historic Kingfisher Cabin, the writing retreat of Henry Stillwell Edwards, the Georgia Power Sweet Gum Trail is available for guided and unguided tours. Both the nature trail and outdoor classroom are used for educational programming.

MUSEUM STORE
Located near the main entrance and open during Museum hours, the Museum Store provides educational products and beautiful art objects for Museum visitors to purchase. The store often carries merchandise related to current exhibitions.

SPECIAL EVENTS
The many events that occur during the year are often the Museum’s most popular days. Mammal Mayhem, Reptile Rendezvous, and Bug Day focus on groups of animals in the Mini-Zoo. The Planetarium celebrates Astronomy Day and presents special observings during astronomical events. Family Days are often presented in conjunction with major exhibitions.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING
School children from most Georgia counties participate in guided tours and programs each year. The Museum also offers separate classes, labs, lectures, films, field trips, camps, and receptions for children and adults, all of which explore a variety of themes and issues in the arts, sciences, and humanities.

Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday 1 – 5 p.m., Last Friday of the Month 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Closed on major holidays

Adults $8, Seniors $6, Students $5, Children under 12 $4, Infants and Museum Members Free; Group rates available for parties over 10