Collections Gallery Fact sheet

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WHAT

Collections Gallery

WHERE

Science Museum of Minnesota, level 4
120 West Kellogg Boulevard,
Downtown St. Paul

WHY

The 7,000-square-foot Collections Gallery is filled with a "greatest hits" selection of treasures from the Science Museum's 1.75 million-object collection, including the Egyptian mummy, the authentic Hmong house, the seven-foot diameter Douglas fir "tree cookie," Emily, the two-headed turtle, selections from the collection of Questionable Medical Devices, and an array of mounted bears, birds, and exotic species. Additionally, visitors can take a trip through time to investigate the Science Museum's 100-year history and see how different generations' interests shaped the museum's vast collection.

EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS

Collectors' Corner: At the counter in the Collectors' Corner, visitors can bring in their own natural objects—like rocks, pinecones, and shells—and trade them for objects brought in by other visitors or provided by the museum. The more visitors know about the objects they're trading, the more points they earn toward future trades. More than 12,500 traders have stopped by the Collectors Corner since the Science Museum opened its new facility in 1999, trading more than 40,000 items! For more information, visit the Collectors' Corner website at www.smm.org/visit/collectorscorner.

Selections from the Questionable Medical Devices collection: The Science Museum of Minnesota's Questionable Medical Devices display gives visitors a peek at machines from the past 100 years that were designed to "cure" what ails the average human. In some cases, these failed remedies were honest mistakes, but many others were deliberate frauds. Visitors will see the phrenology machine (which makes conclusions about personality based on the bumps on patients' heads), the Orgone Energy Accumulator (which claims to charge the biological batteries), and other gizmos reputed to reverse, correct, or stimulate any number of real and imagined health concerns.

Ancient Egypt: Visitors can view the Science Museum's mummy that was acquired during the Egypt craze of the 1920's. Learn how a CT scan of the mummy helped answer questions about who he was and the type of life he may have lived. Photo murals and our own mummified chicken, Nefertweeti, explain the mummification process. See ancient artifacts from Egypt including a Canopic jar and Shabti figures. Find out more about Ancient Egypt by participating in activities including building a pyramid and writing in hieroglyphics.

Seacoast Fossils from South Carolina: Visitors can examine highlights from paleontologist Bruce Erickson's years of research along South Carolina's coastal regions. This startling collection of 28-million-year-old creatures includes a 22-foot-long crocodile, a dugong (sea cow), a pseudodontorn, a giant sea turtle, a huge fossil whale, and micro fossils picked from sediment found near the large specimens.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Kim Ramsden/Chris Bauer, Public Relations Co-Directors, (651) 221-9423
Sarah Imholte, PR Coordinator, (651) 221-9412
Peg Roessler, Roessler Public Relations, (612) 200-8600