Exhibits and Art
Exhibits
With less than two months to go before the Grand Opening of the new Please Touch Museum at Memorial Hall, all exhibit components have been delivered to Memorial Hall from their respective manufacturing firms in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Ottawa, Canada. They are now being installed in their designated exhibit spaces. After an installation period of approximately six months, the new exhibits are expected to be near completion by the end of August.
The installation process began in the West Gallery, which will house Roadside Attractions and City Capers. Here you will find the SEPTA bus and our ever popular Supermarket along with some great new exhibits. Installations then proceeded to the East Gallery where you will find River Adventures and Wonderland before moving on to the Great Hall. The Centennial Exhibit in the lower-level will be installed in late August, however, half of the exhibit components are being fabricated off-site, making installation at their new home less time-consuming.
In Roadside Attractions, the Please Touch Garage and the City Park are nearing completion, while most of the scenic murals have been installed, and the beloved SEPTA Bus and the Monorail will make the Hall their home come August. The full-size Scion XB car arrived at the Hall and is now also installed. The Philadelphia sky scrapers hovering over City Capers arrived at the end of July, and have now been completely installed. The interactive Sam Maitin mural is complete, while Mural Arts artists are still working on the large mural in City Capers.
Meanwhile, design work for the Flying Machine to be located in the Northwest pavilion is now complete, and the Waterplay on the East upper gallery floor along with the giant Oak tree in the Wonderland exhibit have been completed. On the Ground floor, the Wonderland exhibit is coming along as the hedge row mazes and the framework for the hall of doors and mirrors are now on sight and will be completely installed by the end of August. The intricate carpet in this exhibit has been laid out already.
With the decorative plaster and paint completed in the Great Hall, Philadelphia artist Leo Sewell constructed the Statue of Liberty Arm & Torch made out of toys in June. The Arm & Torch’s pedestal remains to be painted.
[Updates as of August 20, 2008]
City Capers
Become an architect, engineer or city planner! From high-rises to a supermarket and row houses to a medical center, City Capers offers a realistic urban environment of buildings, businesses, neighborhoods and construction sites. Explore a museum favorite, the Supermarket, and discover the people, businesses and neighborhoods that make city life so dynamic in City Life and Front Step (the toddler area).
Flight Fantasy
Anything is possible in this fantasy world that sets the stage for imagination-based play. Row a flying machine, pedal a propeller bike, play hopscotch on clouds! Experiment with balance, speed and coordination to create the sensation of gliding, hovering, and spinning.
River Adventures
Play with water currents, bubbles and rainbows and build and race boats and steer them safely into harbor. Learn about wind, rain, sun and rainbows and make music on nature-inspired musical instruments. Discover animals nestled among high grass and a lily pond in Nature’s Pond (toddler area) and create your own dramatic play in Storyland Cottage, a small rustic cottage, inspired by “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”
Roadside Attractions
Set up road signs, collect tolls, and discover roadside treasures in unexpected places! Repair your car and fill its tank in Jump Start Garage, then create a fantasy vehicle in Dream Car Body Shop. Jump into the driver’s seat of the SEPTA Bus, take a trip into the future on the Monorail Rocket Express and climb high into a tower for an eagle’s eye view of the zone.
Wonderland
Slide down the Rabbit Hole and enter the topsy-turvy world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Weave through a circular maze and discover the Tea Party, the Hall of Doors and Mirrors, the Pool of Tears and Caucus Race, and the Duchess’ Kitchen. Unusual characters, challenging riddles and experiments with optical illusions make Wonderland a “curiouser” and “curiouser” place to be. In Fairytale Garden, a toddler area, enjoy stories and nursery rhymes, including “Rumplestiltskin” and “The Owl and the Kitty Cat.”
Centennial Exploration
Experience the 1876 Centennial Exhibition as though you are actually there! Arrive at a bustling train station, filled with the sights and sounds of long ago. Play with and explore inventions unveiled at the Fair: the telephone, the typewriter, root beer and kindergarten and make comparisons between the world of “then” and “now.” Build your own World’s Fair based on a large model depicting the 240 buildings that were located on this site in 1876.
Art
Artwork within the new museum will be an important tool used to help children see the world in new ways and inspire their creativity. All of the artwork appearing at Memorial Hall will be seamlessly integrated with the exhibits and will support the museum’s mission themes of parent-child interaction, open-ended role playing and learning through play. The three categories of art to be seen will be “Observational,” “Parallel” and “Interactive” art.
Statue of Liberty Arm and Torch
As you enter the Great Hall, a stunning space crowned by a soaring dome, you will encounter a 40 ft. replica of the Statue of Liberty arm and torch. In true Please Touch Museum fashion this will be created out of toys by local artist Leo Sewell. The original Statue of Liberty Arm and Torch was displayed at the 1876 Centennial as part of fundraising efforts for her pedestal.
|