Featured photo: The water table in the Sloan Museum of Discovery’s Discovery Hall Science Gallery proved to be fun for all ages!
Written by Tanya Terry
The highly anticipated grand opening of the Sloan Museum of Discovery recently took place, and area residents are saying the museum is everything they had hoped for-and more!
Anne Mancour, marketing manager for Sloan Museum of Discovery-Longway Planetarium, said museum staff had been working “fast and furiously” with exhibit installers to get all the floor galleries prepared and ready for opening day. There had been delays due to COVID-19, supply chain issues and shipment issues. Nonetheless, about 98% of the museum was done by opening day. Mancour said installations would be done throughout the week.
Mancour talked to the Courier about what she expected to be most popular among both children and adult visitors to the museum.
“Discovery Hall Science Gallery is all interactive and all hands on, and, from what we’ve observed because of the Water Table and because of the Earth Globe, which has a whole weather and climate area, those two areas are the most visible-and they’re the ones that the adults and kids interact in most,” Mancour explained.
For those with smaller kids, ages birth to 6-years-old, the Hagerman Street Early Childhood Learning Gallery has been and is expected to be very popular as well.
“We have educators in all of the rooms to show people how to interact with the hands-on displays,” Mancour said.
There are over 20 educators for the museum, according to Mancour.
“Our mission is to engage the community on a journey of learning, history and science. So, that’s why we have an education team to teach about STEM programming and to teach kids how to explore, discover and tinker.”
In the Discovery Lab, kids are encouraged to draw and create. Robotics and electronics classes will also be taught in the Discovery Lab. In addition, there will be ways for people to learn hands on about skilled trades, tinkering and art.
There is also a History Gallery and the Durant Vehicle Gallery.
“It’s called Durant because General Motors wanted to acknowledge (William) “Billy” Durant, who was the founder of General Motors here in Flint. They contributed a half million dollars for STEM education. So, we named the Durant Gallery after them.”
Mancour stated there are 106 rare and historical vehicles in the gallery, all made in Flint, which will be rotated through the gallery.
“We have something for everyone. We have something for the history buffs and the car buffs. We have science, art-and then education in the early childhood (area).”
Admission to the museum is free to Genesee County residents due to the Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage approved by Genesee County voters August 7, 2018. It will remain free as long as voters continue to pass the millage.
On opening day, ticket sales had reached capacity, according to Mancour. On opening weekend, 400 tickets were reserved per hour, which included tickets for out-of-county residents.
For out-of-county residents, the cost to enjoy the museum is $8 for children ages 2-11, $10 for seniors 60+ and students and $13 for those ages 12-59. Children under 2 can be admitted free of charge.
“There’s nothing like this in the state. So, we do anticipate that this will bring visitors to Flint and Genesee County across mid-Michigan, Toledo, Lansing, Ann Arbor.”
Mancour also said Sloan staff interact with schools both inside and outside of Genesee County.
“So, we’ll start to get classes in here, field trips, Boys Scouts troops, Girl Scout troops. We have a room we rent out for birthday parties. We have event spaces we are already renting out. In July of next year is when we’ll start the traveling exhibits-the special exhibits.”
Mancour said the first special exhibit cannot be revealed to the public yet, but said it is a nationally known exhibit Sloan staff is very excited about.
Mancour said the hope is that community members will not be intimidated about visiting the museum.
“This is built for the community. It was built through surveys and polls from the community, and we built it based on what they were asking for…We want it to be everybody’s museum.”
Genesee County Resident Claudette Kennedy said she got her tickets a week before the grand opening, and Genesee County Resident Julie Kroger said she got hers the day ticket sales opened. Both ladies said the museum exceeded their expectations. They especially enjoyed seeing the children play in the water in the Discovery Hall Science Gallery.
“I will remain a member of the museum even though I don’t have any small children,” said Kennedy. “It’s a nice experience.”
“I’m going to encourage my relatives who are out of Genesee County to make sure they come down and see this amazing place,” added Kroger.
The Sloan Museum of Discovery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. The Coffee Beanery Café in the museum is open Tuesday through Friday, starting at 7:30 a.m.
