Exhibits at Montshire

Photo: Andrew Wellman

The Montshire Museum of Science has over 60 exciting exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences. The Montshire is located on a 110-acre site along the Connecticut River. The Museum is self-guided and is largely handicapped accessible.

Exhibits on the natural history of northern New England reflect the Montshire's role as a visitor center for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Andy's Place is a special area devoted to preschool-aged explorers and their caregivers. Science Park is a 2-acre outdoor exhibit gallery that opened in July, 2002. Other exhibits can be found along Montshire's extensive network of nature trails.

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Visiting Exhibits Now at the Montshire

Spin: The Science of Rotation

A top spins. Our world spins. Even the universe spins! Experience the dizzying science of rotation with our new traveling exhibition Spin: The Science of Rotation. Create a mini-laser show, and, if you dare, take a ride in The Human Centrifuge! Free with Museum admission. Open through May 25, 2008.

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Descriptions of permanent exhibits can be found below. Some of these exhibits may be temporarily unavailable to make room for visiting touring exhibitions. Some exhibits are open during warm weather months only (see seasonal designation).

 

Air and Weather

Aeolian Landscape

Snowdrifts? Sand dunes? Adjust the fan direction and marvel as air movement shapes this landscape.

AirPlay

You can't see air, but you can watch for 'footprints" that moving air makes in these seven hands-on exhibits.

Bernoulli Blower

Is this a gravity-free zone? Nope, just the science of air pressure at work to keep your ball in the air (and airplanes in the sky).

Fog: Little Cat Feet

Get "lost in the fog" while observing mist roll through a model village. A great lesson on air movement!

Wind Wall

The north-facing surface of the Montshire tower is covered with reflective disks that "draw" the patterns made by the wind. "Windprints" may be reminiscent of a breeze blowing across a pond, or wind blowing on a field of grass.

Weather

Get data from our rooftop weather station, see displays on forces that shape local weather patterns, and browse a small gallery of historical photos that show extreme weather events in the Upper Valley.

Anatomy

Looking Inside

Dozens of medical images launch you on a doctor's-eye journey through the human body. Along the way, you'll learn about medical imaging techniques used by health care professionals to diagnose illness.

Astronomy

Day/Night Globe

This 3-foot diameter stone globe, with the continents and other landmasses engraved on its face, is oriented so that light and shadow on the globe match the actual conditions on earth.

Human Sundial

By standing in the center of a sundial face laid out on the ground, you become a "gnomon" (the arrow on a sundial). Your shadow falls on carved stone hour markers. You have become a human timepiece!

Planet Walk

Start your journey from a model of the Sun in Science Park. You'll soon encounter the inner planets (first Mercury, then Venus, then our home planet). To reach tiny Pluto, be prepared for a 1.6-mile walk along the Ridge and Hazen Trails!

Light and Vision

Anti-Gravity Mirror

Create the illusion of zero gravity as you look into this mirror and raise one leg high.

Cathedral Window

It's not real stained glass, but it looks that way! This exhibit breaks up ordinary day light into colors, and then shifts them as the visitor turns a piece of polarizing film.

Chameleon

Is the chameleon striped or spotted? Depends on whether you are looking at it through rose colored glasses! Looking through colored filters alters the hues our eyes detect.

Cheshire Cat

This exhibit demonstrates how your brain fuses binocular images to form a three-dimensional image.

Duck-in Kaleidoscope

One is company, two is a crowd! Duck into this three-panel mirror and watch the population multiply.

Heat Camera

Use this "heat seeking" camera to detect a type of radiation called infrared light. Although our eyes can't see infrared light, the nerves in our skin can feel it as heat. This camera makes infrared light visible to us.

Kaleidoscope

Look into the scope and you can see eleven, wedge-shaped images of Science Park. One of the images is a direct view through a piece of glass. The others are reflections of the image, and reflections of those reflections. And so on and so on . . .

Polygon Mirrors

Look deep into the mirrors and find the polyhedron (a solid shape with flat surfaces). See if you can make a polyhedron with 20, 24, or even 48 sides.

Rosette Symmetry

Discover the relationship between the angle of the mirrors (as measured by the protractor) and the number of mirror images you see. Hint: the result is always 360 degrees!

Through the Glass Darkly

Is that you or me? "Eye" don't know! Friends can combine facial features by looking at each other through a pane of half-silvered glass.

Zoetrope

Develop your own movie and discover the eye's slowness to let go of what it's just seen.

Live Animals

Aquatic Insects (seasonal)

You may see caddisfly larvae, giant water bugs, whirligig beetles, a water scorpion, and more.

Aquariums

See fish, frogs, and turtles native to our region in our newly expanded aquaria. Each tank simulates a different freshwater habitat.

Cecropia Moths (seasonal)

See if you can identify each stage of the life cycle of these beautiful creatures: from egg, to caterpillar, to cocoon, to adult.

Honeybees

Royal doings of the queen bee and the multitude of chores performed by workers and drones are on display for all to see in this indoor/outdoor hive.

Leafcutter Ants

These natives of Central and South America go about their lives in a Plexiglas colony for visitors to see.

Math, Mechanics and Motion

Bikevator (Elevator Bike)

Learn how much energy it takes to raise the Museum's elevator up one flight. Be prepared to pedal!

Kinetic Energy Machines

These whimsical contraptions illustrate the conversion of potential to kinetic energy. Rube Goldberg would be proud!

Lariat Chain

Pull on our chain - you will marvel at the resulting serpentine wave motion made by this simple machine.

Mind Games

This series of hands-on, mind-bending puzzles will challenge your problem solving abilities.

Chaotic Orbits

Put the power of gravitational pull in your hands! This experiment replicates the famous "three body problem." The shape of the surface acts on the ball like the pull of gravity.

Chaotic Wrench

A light spin of the handle and the foot long wrench jumps up in the air and whirls around. But it doesn't always go where you think it will, and sometimes it pops up when it seems it shouldn't. Ah, chaos...

Chaotic Bounce

The erratic and unpredictable motion of the ball is typical of a chaotic system. Small changes in your activity result in big changes in the system!

Gravity Well

Send pennies spinning around the center hole to get an idea of how gravity and momentum work to keep the planets orbiting around the sun.

Rollways

And they're off! Construct your own raceway and learn how to speed things up

or slow them down.

Tower Clock

Check out the "inner life" of a real New England Tower Clock and learn how the Connecticut River powered industry and helped change the world.

Topology

Topologically speaking, a doughnut is the same as a coffee mug with a handle. You can further explore that inexplicable statement using the knotted puzzles at this exhibit. Frustrated? Keep trying...

Red Waves

Ever wonder what causes a flag to snap in a high wind? Well, this exhibit illustrates how this happens. Spin a pole and watch the edges of the fabric move.

Resonant Pendulum

You can really move mountains when you put your mind to it. In this case, try swinging this heavy stone by timing your pulls and tugs to the stone's natural swinging rhythm. Easy does it!

Gears

There's no such thing as a free lunch. In this case, you'll turn speed into force, or vice versa, depending on which end of the gear train you turn.

Trajectories

Adjust the parabolic trajectory of the "basketball" and see if you can hit a "three-pointer."

Skittles

Spin a top and watch as it whirls around, quickly, slowly, wobbly, smoothly, hopping, bumping, and every so often knocking over a pin.

Natural History & The Environment

Animal Signs Kiosk

See and touch the tracks of many local animal species and view other animal signs including an owl pellet, a vole nest, examples of unusual beaver "forestry," and the leftovers from a squirrel's dinner.

Bird Nests and Eggs

Marvel at the many ways local birds build nests to care for their young and see dozens of examples of bird eggs from our collection.

Changing Songs, Changing Landscapes

Go back in time to hear what a typical summer afternoon might have sounded like in a Vermont meadow. How has the changing environment affected this experience over the years?

Fireflies

Nearly 20 species of local fireflies have different "flash patterns'" they use to attract mates. Learn to decipher the semaphore of some of these amazing insects.

Fossils

Feel for a hidden fossil and try to guess which photo matches it. Also see a fossil of a local dinosaur, Coelophysis, and touch the thighbone of an Apatosaurus.

Frog Calls

Learn to tell a woodfrog's "quack" from a bullfrog's "jug-o-rum".

Insects

Explore the amazing diversity of our region through this series of exhibits on dragonflies, damselflies, beetles, moths, and more. Magnifying cameras let you look closely at hundreds of species.

Meadow Sounds Kiosk

Listen to recordings of birds and insects. Can you hear any of the creatures in the nearby meadow?

Monarch

Celebrate the beauty of one of our most distinctive butterflies. Created by artist Marilyn Aber, this model has a nine-foot wingspan. (See if you can find the caterpillar and chrysalis models as well!).

Moose

Meet Alces Alces Americana, otherwise known as the eastern Moose. This beautiful male specimen stands six feet high. There is also a touchable sample of moose fur.

Mussels and Dams

Meet the mussel species that can be found in our local waters. You'll learn about the fascinating life cycle of these oft-overlooked creatures and appreciate the role they play in our ecology. Open drawers to learn how the dams we build affect them and other creatures.

North Woods

A series of exhibits along the Ridge and Blood Brook Trails that reveal the unique natural history of northern New England, including its geology, trees, seed dispersal, plant-animal interactions, insect life, decomposition, and historical land-use patterns.

Our Place

A computerized tour of the Connecticut River watershed.

Reptiles

This rich collection includes touchable skulls of a crocodile and alligator, fossils, a 26-foot long anaconda snakeskin, and drawers full of other reptilian bits and bones.

Thrush Songs

These birds are known for their beautiful songs. The Upper Connecticut River Valley is a great place to hear them... the second best place is this display.

Watershed Explorer

A compendium of websites that provide new information and insights into the richness of our watershed.

Trails, Natural Areas, and Gathering Spaces

The Amphitheater

This tiered area is nestled into the curve of a north-facing slope along the River Trail. Groups can gather here for outdoor programs or orientation to walks on the trails.

Blood Brook Trail

This trail takes visitors through a sunny field and along the edge of the lagoon under a grove of dark, cool hemlocks. Along the way is an exhibit on the history of stone walls and a deck overlooking Blood Brook's turbulent entrance into the lagoon. Here, you can learn a little more about the natural history of salmon.

Forest Trail

This short Quinn Preserve Trail makes a loop through the woods. Walkers are led down a slope of yellowbud hickories and conifers to a footbridge. Just as the Forest Path rejoins the River Trail, visitors pass through a demonstration plot of native grasses and shrubs.

Overlook Loop Trail

Journey along the Connecticut River, enjoy views from several lovely overlooks, and visit the "Migration Station." This path is surfaced by a hardpacked material that allows the passage of wheelchairs and strollers.

The Meadow

On the river side of the railroad tracks lies a 2-acre meadow, a demonstration plot for native grasses, and an enriched riverside environment for birds and other animals.

Ridge Trail

You might as well be out on the Long Trail or one of Vermont's other famous woodland footpaths. (1.1 miles).

River Trail

An easy to loop through Montshire's meadow leading to the Connecticut River. Along the way, stop and listen to recordings of birds and insects, learn about solitary wasps, and the importance of "The River's Edge" to wildlife.

Wildflower Trail

A short walk near the Museum building provides glimpses of woodland wildflowers in spring and mushrooms in the fall. (0.1 miles)

Sound

Hear Here: Listening with Eyes and Ears

In this suite of exhibits, visitors will see and experience some of the characteristics of sound, and understand more about how people hear and interpret the sounds around them. As much as possible, components are available to visitors who are deaf or hearing-impaired.

Matisse Musical Fence

Built by Paul Matisse, grandson of the well-known painter Henri Matisse, this exhibit makes its reappearance in the Park this summer. The 59 vertical aluminum pipes mounted in a reinforced concrete beam make up an instrument with almost limitless musical possibilities.

"Rock" Music

Pour small handfuls of gravel along different sides of the box. Notice the nails lining the box have different lengths and thickness... these properties influence sounds you hear.

Singing Stone

The music is in the palms of your hands. A square column of basalt is sliced in such a way that when rubbed with wet hands, it vibrates like a tuning fork and produces a powerful sound.

Humming Stone

Hum a favorite tune and listen to your voice in a way you've never heard before.

Whisper Dishes

Two parabolic dishes face each other 40 feet apart. Whisper at the focal point of one dish and your friend can hear you loud and clear as he listens at the other dish.

Whisper Tubes

Shhh... no need to shout! Speak softly and be amazed at how far your voice carries.

Stone Xylophone

Strike the five slabs of stone of varying depths with a cork-headed hammer. It is a wonderful surprise to find that stone can produce music.

Rocking Bells (seasonal)

Move the cross arm up and down like a see saw - then bang each of the hanging pipes with the mallet. What happens to the quality of sound when a pipe dips into the water?

Water and Flow

Bubbles

Blowing bubbles is fun. It's also a great way to introduce the concept of liquids, surface tension, and soap film geometries.

The Cascade (seasonal)

There are places where you can dam the water, divert it into a whirlpool, or simply watch as water tumbles around boulders. How does the shape of a stone affect the way water moves around it?

Dam and Bubbler (seasonal)

Dam the water in the water rill and suddenly it bubbles up out of the ground behind you. How high can you make it bubble?

Flow Tunnel

The silky medium within the tunnel provides lessons on turbulence.

Garnet Spring (seasonal)

Watch the patterns flowing water makes as it stirs the sand. (The sand is made of finely ground garnet, a red mineral you sometimes see in local rocks.)

Mist Fountain (seasonal)

This fountain by exhibit developer/artist Ned Kahn creates a veil of mist 6' wide and 10' high. Stand with your back to the sun and look up into the mist as it shimmers in the breeze - can you see a rainbow?

The Water Rill (seasonal)

This is a 250-foot long watercourse with small adventures waiting to happen all along the way. Float a ball downstream and make observations about why it is moving fast or slow or not at all. Make dams and redirect the water flow, or watch patterns of light and shadow on the rill's bottom as water spins around cylinders and other moveable shapes.

Visco City

This mesmerizing exhibit sheds light on the mystery of viscosity in liquids.

Kalliroscope

Spin this shallow circular container and watch in wonder as a pearly turquoise fluid begins to move in silky curlicues.

Pressure Fountain (seasonal)

O.K., how do city kids stay cool on hot summer days? Imagine a fire hydrant, with several different water outlets. If you plug up all the outlets except one, guess what happens?

Water Depth and Pressure (seasonal)

Ever dive down deep in water and feel it pressing on you? The lowest of these pipes feel the same way. Nine pipes give you three ways to see that the deeper the water, the more pressure there is from above.

Water Bells (seasonal)

Turn the knobs to change the flow of water in this fountain. You can make the water form big, round bells; skinny bells with wavering edges; and if you get it just right, a perfectly flared bell shape.

Visit Exhibit Explorer, at http://www.montshire.net/explorer, an Internet library providing more information on the science behind Montshire's many hands-on exhibits. Exhibit Explorer includes links to hundreds of fascinating and informative Internet sites on the physical sciences, astronomy, natural history, and the environment.

 

Photographs by Jon Gilbert Fox