State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces February 2012 Highlights

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for February 2012:

National Geographic Giant Traveling Map of North America Exhibit:  In partnership with the Pennsylvania Alliance for Geographic Education, The State Museum will exhibit National Geographic's Giant Map of North America for an exclusive Pennsylvania engagement, Feb. 18–March 15.  On this 26' x 35' map—half the size of a basketball court—visitors will have the opportunity to remove their shoes and traverse the continent from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to the Panama Canal and from Iceland to Baja in their stocking feet. To complement the giant map and bring regional context to its presentation, The State Museum will also display large-scale reproductions of historic Pennsylvania maps from the Pennsylvania State Archives. The Giant North America Map is part of National Geographic's Giant Traveling Maps program, organized by National Geographic Live, the public programming division of the National Geographic Society.

Special National Geographic Giant Map Educational Programs: The State Museum will offer special guided tour experiences for school groups in grades 3–7 throughout the showing of the giant North America Map.  Contact Diane Wynkoop, tour scheduler, at 717-772-6997 or [email protected] for more information and to schedule group tours on Wednesdays through Fridays, Feb. 22–March 15. Program costs are $6 per student which includes museum general admission and the special guided tour experience.

3rd in the Burg – National Geographic Giant Map Preview: On Friday, Feb. 17, 5 p.m.–7 p.m., meet Harrisburg SciTech High student docents, museum educators and volunteers as they provide a sneak peek of the National Geographic Giant Traveling Map of North America for Harrisburg's 3rd in the Burg. Free and open to the public. The SciTech High Student Docent Program is sponsored by Penn National Insurance.

NEW DOSHI Gallery Exhibit:  The Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) of Harrisburg will open a new exhibit at The State Museum on Sunday, Feb. 12, with a reception from 2 p.m.–4 p.m. "Art is an entree, not a dessert," a juried group exhibition, will be on view at The State Museum through July 15. The Feb. 12 reception is open to the public and free with State Museum general admission. SAM members and State Museum Affiliate Members receive free general admission.

Making it Better Exhibition, continuing through April 29:  "Making It Better:  Pennsylvania Folk Arts Today" tells the stories of more than 30 master artists whose works represent a wide array of traditions such as African dance, stone wall construction, Native American clay flutes, Pysanky eggs, contemporary blacksmith work, woodcarving and Vietnamese funerary portraits. The exhibit is on loan from the Erie Art Museum.

Featured Holiday Planetarium Shows through April 1, 2012:

• "Oasis in Space" (grade 4 and up).  Is Earth the only water world in our Solar System? Take an exciting flight through our Solar System in search of water and water worlds like Earth.  Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m.
• "BIG" (grade 6 and up).  Experience how big the universe really is!  Travel through space and time to take a look at the relationship between distance and time in the universe.  Narrated by Sir Richard Attenborough.  Saturdays at noon and 2 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.

The State Museum Store: The newly expanded State Museum Store offers an array of Pennsylvania-themed products and gift items for all ages.  Purchases support the ongoing educational mission of The State Museum of Pennsylvania.  State Museum Affiliate Members and Pennsylvania Heritage Society members receive 10 percent off purchases at the store. Admission to the store is free. The shop is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.–4 p.m.

Holiday Closure: The State Museum's administrative offices and galleries will be closed on Monday, Feb. 20, in honor of Presidents' Day.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History®. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania's fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the Commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America's story. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and senior citizens.

For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.

Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

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