The Springfield Museums present Summer Spectacular—full-immersion, hands-on fun for the whole family July 9-August 17, 2018. It’s all about CATS and DOGS this summer with visits from the Cat in the Hat and Clifford The Big Red Dog. Plus themed days that highlight Springfield history, live animals, science, ongoing learning for all ages, and Fun, Fun, Fun!
All exhibits and activities are FREE with museum admission unless noted.
We hope you are inspired by your visit to the Museums. And, please come back again—there is always something new at the Springfield Museums! Family memberships are $125.
Mondays: Grandparents and Grandchildren’s Day
12-2 Party on the Quad for All Ages – Rock out or sit and picnic with music for every generation! In case of inclement weather, we will have DJ party in the History Museum.
11-1 Transportation Cart – Stop by and learn from one of the Wood Museum of Springfield History’s knowledgeable docent volunteers. Explore industry and innovation through objects you can touch, while you learn what life was like in Springfield 100 years ago.
11-3 Main Street Play – What businesses do your grandparents remember seeing in their city or town? Which businesses are still there today? How have community helpers changed over time? You can pretend to work at Friendly’s or Big Y, dress up as a fire fighter or police officer, pretend to assemble a motorcycle or engine, or sit down and enjoy some Hasbro games.
Tuesdays: WGBY Days
11-2 Meet Clifford The Big Red Dog – Meet this lovable star of Norman Bridwell’s most popular book series and two PBS shows! Greet Clifford for a photo op, hug, or a high five!
11-3 PBS Tablet Games Come check out some of your favorite PBS characters through some apps that promote both fun and learning! Games feature some of your favorite characters, including Clifford and the Cat in the Hat!
11-3 Puppy Playland – Would you like to be a veterinarian? How about a dog groomer? Or do you just love playing with pets? Come to Puppy Playland for a room full of fun with books, Play-doh, dramatic play, and more.
11-3 Saber Tooth Fairy – Saber Tooth Tigers had teeth over 6 inches long! Examine a replica plus a variety of real teeth from animals that are still around today. Play Tooth Bingo in the surrounding galleries and win a small prize.
Noon – Author and Illustrator Visits – Meet a different author or illustrator each week at the museum! Learn how they create their books and what inspires them! Books will be available for purchase from most authors, Tish Rabe’s books will be available in the Museum Store.
July 10, Jason Lefebvre
July 17, Ty Allan Jackson
July 24, David White
July 31, Jeff Mack
August 7, Tish Rabe
August 14, Nancy Castaldo
11-3 Eyes and Smiles – We’re celebrating reading all summer long! Come learn how vision and dental care are important to reading through hands-on activities, including coloring your own pair of wacky reading classes and choose a book of your very own to take home.
11-2 Read to a Reptile – Choose from a selection fun and funny books to read to one of the reptiles that calls Springfield Museums home.
Wednesdays: Wild Wednesdays, All about Animals
11-3 Animal Face Painting with Professors Knows A. Lot – Stop by for custom face painting by our own Professor Knows A. Lot! Whether you want to be a butterfly, a tiger, or something you haven’t thought of yet, she has something for you!
11-2 Live Animal Demo – Meet the reptiles that call the Springfield Science Museum home and learn about their adaptations, diets, and behaviors from one of our experienced museum educators. Animals may include the ball python, milk snake, bearded dragon, box turtle, and / or painted turtle.
11-2 Meet the Cat in the Hat! – Get a high five or a hug, and get your photo taken with Dr. Seuss’s most famous character!
Times May Vary Live Virtual Visit with the Smithsonian Zoo – Come to Tolman Auditorium for a live-stream visit with the zookeepers of our National Zoo! We’ll see and learn about two different animals each week and have some coordinated hands-on activities straight from Washington, DC.
11-3 #EarthOptimism 2018 – Earth Optimism is part of a growing, global movement. We are building a global community of practice around what is working in conservation. Learn some easy ways that kids can help protect our environment that you can try at home right away!
Thursdays: Kids at Play: Stories, Songs, and Games from Around the World
Cultural Performances on the Quad, Thursdays at Noon
July 12 – Mahi Aurora, Bollywood instructor
July 19 – Mokoto, tales and games from Japan
July 26 – Eshu Bumpis, storyteller
August 2 – Pied Potter Hamelin, pottery
August 9 – Ricardo Frota, multi-instrumentalist and musician
August 16 – Asian Performing Arts, dance, fashion, and martial arts
11-3 Adinkra Cloth Printing – Help us created a bolt of cloth in the style created by the Ashanti people who live in modern day Ghana. Learn the symbolism of each image and used stamp to help decorate the fabric. Choose one symbol of your own to stamp and take home too.
11-3 Explore Galimotos – Come and play with these Kenyan-made toys made of wire and bits of cloth. Roll these toys that are frequently created and played with children in Africa.
Fridays: Cats and Dogs Days
11-2 Meet Clifford The Big Red Dog – Meet this lovable star of Norman Bridwell’s most popular book series and two PBS shows! Greet Clifford for a photo op, hug, or a high five!
11-2 Meet the Cat in the Hat! – Get a high five or a hug, and get your photo taken with Dr. Seuss’s most famous character
11-3 Puppy Playland – Would you like to be a veterinarian? How about a dog groomer? Or do you just love playing with pets? Come to Puppy Playland for a room full of fun, with books, Play-doh, dramatic play, and more.
11-3 Animal Rescue – Meet the people who work hard to rescue animals, keep them safe, and help them find permanent homes! Come meet the folks from Dakin or Thomas J. O’Connor and maybe even make some furry friends, too.
11-3 The Truth About Fu Dogs – Did you know that Fu Dogs aren’t really dogs at all? What do they symbolize and where are they from? Visit three sets of Fu Dogs in the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum and learn what kind of feline they really are!
Noon-2 Bubble Parties on the Quad – Join the fun, exciting, and interactive party! Dance to kid-friendly music and songs they know and like. Dance the limbo, with hula hoops, bubbles, and more. Inclement weather won’t stop the fun, but in case of rain we’ll have an indoor DJ Dance Party.
Free Fun Friday Only:
Noon and 2 Jungle Jim Presents, “The Wild About Reading Balloon Magic Show” – Jungle Jim combines balloon artistry, magic, comedy and improv to create an amazing experience for children! The children are given a series of safari adventure challenges, which are interactive performance pieces that will help them train to be safari adventurers. If they pass the challenges (which we know they will!), they will get to see a fantastic, mind-blowing finale!
11-3 Malik the Magic Guy – Malik is a full time comedy magician with over 25 years of experience performing for family, corporate and college audiences. Come and enjoy his strolling magic!
Monday-Friday
11-2 Family Science Adventures– Explore the Science Museum and find the Roving Scientist. You never know what kind of demonstrations and hands-on activities they have in store for you!
Daily
Noon-4 Art Discovery Center – Trace Chinese characters, try on costumes, play gallery games, peek under lift-up panels on the Wall of Symbols to discover the meaning behind Asian motifs, put on a puppet show, and make an art project.
July 9-15 – Metal Dog Tags
July 16-22 – Sea Glass Turtles
July 23-29 – Stained Glass Flowers
July 30-August 5 – Big Red Dog Window Clings
August 6-12 – Faux Stained Glass Fish
August 13-19 – Year of the Dog Buttons
10-5 Cat’s Corner – Our Dr. Seuss-themed drop-in space on the Lower Level of the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum. Stop in to read some of Ted Geisel’s original stories along with lots of other picture books, plus take part in facilitated art and literacy activities.
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