The Springfield Museums have announced the schedule for their annual “Summer Spectacular” Family Series, which runs from July 5th through August 12th, 2016. Every Monday through Friday, families visiting the Quadrangle will find a schedule packed with hands-on art and science activities live animal demonstrations, and family entertainment for all ages. This year’s Summer Spectacular is sponsored by the Horace Moses Charitable Trust, Bank of America, Trustee.
The programs have been carefully structured by skilled educators to reflect and build on the Museums’ art, history, and science collections, and all activities and performances are free with admission unless otherwise noted. Special performances and appearances taking place during the Spectacular include:
- Tue. July 5th– (1 p.m.) Presentation/Book Signing by David Hyde Costello, author of I Can Help!
- Thu. July 7th (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.)– Community Music School Bucket Drumming
- Thu July 14th (11 a.m.) – Yo-Yo People– an interactive show made entirely of Yo-Yo’s!
- Thu. July 21st (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) – Science on the Street – interactive explorations
- Wed. July 22nd – Presentation/Book Signing – “Super Fun Time” with children’s author Bob Shea
- Tue. July 26th – Celebrate Seuss Day – a celebration of all things Seuss filled with special guests and surprises
- Thu. July 28th – Outdoor Art Festival – visitors can add their art to our pop-up festival
- Tue. Aug. 4th – Mr. Vinny, The Bubble Guy – whimsical spherical creations
- Fri. Aug. 5th – Free Fun Friday – free general admission through funding from the Highland Street Foundation.
- JUST ADDED: Tue. Aug. 9th (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) – Hevesh5, the domino artist and YouTube sensation (over 2 million views!) and making a domino creation with a Seussian flair.
- Thu. Aug. 11th – The Good Won: Songs, Stories, and Games Around the Campfire.
Educational and fun hands-on activities will take place each week, starting on Mondays with amazing chalk drawings by artist in residence, David Krawcyzk every week (10 AM – noon, weather permitting), plus “Music in the Museums” with guitarist Mr. Zach (11-11:45 a.m.). Professor Knows A. Lot visits every Tuesday (10:30-noon), and visitors can also explore chain reactions through creating Rube Goldberg machines on “Rube Tuesdays” (10:15 a.m. – 3 p.m.). Wednesdays feature animals friends from Forest Park’s “Zoo on the Go” (11 a.m. – noon), plus award-winning Disneynature Films (2 p.m.). Thursdays feature one of the many performers listed above, and a History Cart that allows guests to get hands-on with artifacts from Springfield’s past (noon to 2 p.m.). Capping each week’s offerings are performances by the Tanglewood Marionettes every Friday 11 a.m. to noon, including favorites like Sleeping Beauty, The Dragon King, and Cinderella.
Other ongoing activities for kids and families will include hands-on demonstrations by the museums’ Roving Scientist during Family Science Adventures every week day from 11AM to 2PM. Activity and dress-up stations in the Art and Discovery Center at the G.W.V. Smith Art Museum are available daily from noon to 4PM, and Seymour Planetarium shows are also presented four times daily at the Science Museum (additional fee applies). Visitors can also check out the Exploration Table in Mammal Hall at the Science Museum, play with wooden cars and motorcycles in the Wood Museum of Springfield History, and explore the toy sculpture station in the Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery of the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts.
For those who wish to delve deeper into the collections in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts and George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, Family Tours are guided by a museum docent every Friday at 12:30PM. Adult Tours of the Museum of Fine Arts will be held every Monday from 1 to 1:30PM.
General admission is free for members and Springfield residents with proof of address, and covers admission to all four Springfield Museums and most Summer Spectacular Activities. General admission is $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and college students, $9.50 for children 3-17, and free for children under three and museum members.
The Springfield Museums are open seven days a week during the summer starting June 27. Summer hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., For more information, please call 413-263-6800 ext. 489.