Macon’s Art and Science Museum
by Olivia Varnson

Museum of Arts and Science

As the largest museum of its kind in Georgia, Macon’s Museum of Arts and Sciences boasts a wealth of attractions that allow visitors to immerse themselves in art and explore the creativity from around the world.

            The Museum’s art and science galleries showcase several changing and permanent exhibits. In the past, the Museum has hosted works by Picasso, Egyptian art, wreckage from a slave ship, Ottoman art, Leonardo da Vinci and a dinosaur exhibit. It also hosts art by local school students and showcases themed holiday collections. On the Museum grounds, visitors can also explore the Discovery House. The Discovery House features three floors of interactive exhibits. On the top floor, visitors can create their own works of art or sit quietly in the Dream Room, which plays atmospheric music. On the main level, some of the Museum’s permanent collections including butterflies, arrowheads and dolls. In the basement, visitors can communicate through whisper tubes, figure out how things work at the workbenches and dig for fossils.

            Also on the Museum grounds is the Mini-Zoo. The Mini-Zoo houses a variety of invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals and has recreated forest, pond and desert habitats. Live animal shows are presented in the Mini-Zoo daily. Further down is the Mark Smith Planetarium. It features industry’s leading planetarium projection technology, the Konica Minolta Super MediaGlobe-II. To learn more about the current and upcoming celestial events, read here: http://www.masmacon.org/explore/astronomy/planetarium/sky-over-macon.

            The Museum also offers visitors a chance to enjoy the outdoors. The Sweet Gum Nature Trail is available for guided and self-guided tours and can be used for educational programming. Along the trail visitors will be able to take in the plans and animals, the pond and the historic Kingfisher Cabin, retreat of writer Henry Stillwell Edwards. The Amerson River Park is also nearby and it features a prehistoric natural lake, miles of riverfront, a large open meadow and wooded trails.

            Macon’s Museum of Arts and Sciences has a lot to offer for all kinds of creative minds. They can enjoy exhibits and take in the scenery or they can become active participants and create their own art or dig for fossils. Getting lost in the environment and challenging one’s imagination makes for a terrific and memorable trip. The Museum is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.