An educational and fun place to visit with the kids, during winter and summer months
Looking for something to do with your kids? The Museum at Prairie Fire is a great option, especially when the weather is too cold or too hot to be outside and play. There are several different features available at the museum, but some are currently closed due to public health concerns. The main open attraction at the museum is the discovery room, perfect for young kids!
Currently the museum is open from 10-3PM M-S and 12-3 on Sundays. Admission is $5 for 3 year olds to adults. The museum also offers different programs and
learning opportunities throughout the year.
The beautiful colors of the glass really draw you into the museum. It's such a beautiful design and is definitely captivating. Once inside, you will find the colors of the glass cast throughout the halls.
As soon as you walk into the door, you are greeted with large dinosaur fossils and demonstrations, history, artifacts, and tons of other learning areas that give some insight on dinosaurs. My son loved running around looking at the "big skeletons" and exploring the drawers and items displayed.
Just down the hall there is an "Augmented Reality" where you can "dig" and find fossils. After you pick your location and locate your egg, the screen comes to life. The learning exercise will prompt you through several screens, teaching and quizzing you on your knowledge of the dinosaur that you discovered.
At the end you will have the ability to choose a color and name your dinosaur. You can then walk into the main hall and see your discovered dinosaur on the screen in "real time." There is a large television screen with closed circuit that shows you looking at the screen as the creatures move through the hall and walk right past you. My son had fun pretending like we had to be quiet so that the dinosaurs didn't get us!
On the main level there is also a showcase that currently features items and some information on NASA/space exploration. I'm not sure if these are temporary installments, but I believe they are featured in the learning courses and camps offered by the museum.
There were several classrooms, and an eating area with many chairs available. There is also an outdoor walking area if weather is permitting. The museum is also right across from shopping, eating and even a movie theatre.
Upstairs was the main event where the kids could explore in the Discovery Room. There were so many things to see and do that you could easily spend a couple hours playing with everything.
My youngest son enjoyed this big beautiful tree the most. He kind of gravitated to this side of the room where there are live animals, insects, reptiles, etc. There were tons of informational sections and interactive play. There was also a "seek and find" where you could track/find all of the animals and their footprints.
There were many books, bean bags and a few chairs provided for reading areas.
My oldest son's favorite spot was the dinosaur dig area. Kids are provided with a brush and can move the sand around to expose different dinosaur fossils. There are tons of demonstrations, factoids, books, little seating areas, and even a life size dinosaur fossil foot that doubled as a 3D puzzle.
There were many dinosaur fossils and recreations near by, as well as a few play areas with drawers to explore, playsets, and other various hands on activities. The staff were continuously cleaning the area and sanitizing high-touch items.
There were a few more play stations that offered a variety of activities. There were soft bricks for building, baskets of toy dinosaurs and insects, a coloring table and a jiggling puzzle where you create a building that may or may not withstand earthquake simulations.
There were a few TVs and screens that allowed for interaction, video and additional learning. There was another room that had some space related items, but we never made it into that section.
Definitely a fun option, especially for younger kids, to get out of the house and experience the dinosaurs, animals, and nature in a hands on way.
Check out the Museum at Prairie Fire's website for the most up to date pricing, hours of operation and open exhibits by clicking the button below:
Let me know if you visit the museum and what your favorite parts were! This was our second time visiting. It has changed a little bit over the years but we still had fun playing and seeing all of the educational bits.
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