One of the best ways to discover and marvel at human achievement is by visiting a museum. Whether their theme is art, science, history, or virtually anything else, museums are a very pleasant and entertaining way of discovering the highlights of human achievement. Those living in or around Allentown, Pennsylvania, are lucky to have a wide variety of museums in the area.
1. Da Vinci Science Center
It’s said that children are natural scientists because of their constant curiosity regarding everything around them. This is the idea behind the Da Vinci Science Center, a place where kids can satisfy that curiosity by engaging with interactive exhibits and participating in special programs. First opened back in 1992, it is now visited by more than 120,000 people each year and that number is constantly growing.
All programs and exhibits are designed in a way so that they appeal to children’s interests, so they can playfully discover new things in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Aside from inspiring kids to pursue careers in these well-paid and highly valuable domains, the Da Vinci Science Center also finds ways to help and develop the local community, through various programs.
2. The Liberty Bell Museum
Located in Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ of Allentown, this museum and its building are both integral parts of American history. This was the first church in town and throughout the years it had many alternate uses, such as a hospital during the Revolutionary War, a local gathering place for readings of the Declaration of independence, or a refuge used by locals to shield themselves from Indian raids.
The rich history of the location inspired the community to use it as a reminder of the long road leading to freedom. In order to attest that, The State of Pennsylvania donated a replica of the Liberty Bell, originally cast back in 1769. It’s the perfect place for children to learn about the history of the country and school trips to this museum are a regular occurrence. Kids also love the fact that they can actually ring the historic Liberty Bell.
3. Allentown Art Museum
A local attraction for 85 years and counting, the Allentown Art Museum is the ideal place in town to learn about art. It’s visited by more than 100,000 people each year, many of them children in various school programs that are being introduced to the fascinating world of art. Their collection is impressive, with almost 20,000 works of art spanning almost 2,000 years of human creativity and talent on display. Their overall goal is to inspire people through art and make them be the best possible version of themselves, therefore enriching the entire community.
Museums are like capsules that compress time and space, allowing us to go through very large periods of human development in only a few hours. Although children are generally the most enthusiastic about museum trips, that doesn’t mean adults of all ages can’t learn many new things by spending an afternoon being amazed by human or natural wonders.
Image via Flickr by Saffron Waller Photography | CC BY 2.0 | Cropped from original
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