CIS Logo White Small

June 2011
front view cis
In This Issue
Summer Group Programs
Daily Planetarium and Bat Programs
Time for Camp
Summer Evening Bat Walks
Water Passage Opens
Summer Birthday Parties
CIS Membership
Become a Member

Annual Fund


Social Media Links
Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterYoutube Logoflickr
Summer Group Programs Available Now
The Institute of Science offers a discounted admission and program rate throughout the summer for groups of twenty or more. Starting at just $7 per child and $9.50 per adult, fees include admission and choice of bat or planetarium program. Groups of twenty to thirty-five may also purchase tickets to any regularly scheduled public planetarium program subject to availability. For details about Summer Group Programs visit us on the web or call 248 645.3210.
Greetings!

Summer is fast approaching.  Outside, students from Cranbrook Schools were posing in their caps and gowns in front of the fountain just this week, and our nesting Mallard couple has returned. Inside, Institute educators host 500-700 or more visiting school students on field trips each day of the week. It's an exciting time at the Museum!

As school visits wind down we move into camp mode with two new camps this year as well as the return of our Explorer Camp series. We still have openings in several popular camps and have even added a second session of the new Harry Potter-Themed Camp. See details inside this newsletter.

As you plan your summer activities we hope you will consider a visit to Cranbrook. Whether it's a group program or a family visit, we're ready to offer you an exciting science experience. Join us for a walk on the trails or a visit to the observatory on a Fri. night. Cranbrook is a great place to feel as if you have gone Up North while staying close to home!

We hope to see you soon.

Go Science!
Summer Offers Daily Planetarium and Bat Programs

SpaceRegular weekday public planetarium and bat programs begin June 27 and continue through Sept. 2. Planetarium programs are offered June 27 - July 1 at 12:30am, 1:30pm and 2:30pm, and July 5 - Sept. 2, at 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm. Programs include popular all-ages classics like Michigan Sky Tonight and Seven Wonders, and child friendly programs such as One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure. Visits to the Bat Zone offer the chance to observe the creatures of the night. Vampire bats, sugar gliders and a sloth are part of this unique experience. Daily programs are available at 12:30 and 2:30pm. Preview planetarium program trailers and read more about Bat Zone tours here.
Time for Camp

Summer CampSummer Explorer Camp at Cranbrook has begun.  Camp at the Institute of Science is designed to bring scientific study to life in a fun hands-on way. Activities, both at the Institute and across Cranbrook's 319-acre "outdoor laboratory," provide a lifetime of memories and learning experiences. Due to popular demand, the Institute has added a second session of the new Harry Potter-Themed Science Camp for 5-8 graders Aug. 15-19. Professors from the Cranbrook Institute of "Nature and Methodology" explore the science behind the Harry Potter series of books and movies in this interdisciplinary camp that incorporates math, science, physical education and more.  Also new this year, Museum Boot Camp immerses 6-8 graders in a week of investigating the skills and experiences needed to run a museum. Several of the Institute's most popular camps like Science and Ecology Explorer also return! Cranbrook offers both before- and after- care throughout the summer.  To review camp selections for summer 2011, click here.

Summer Evening Bat Walks Return

Malayan BatStarting Fri., June 17 and continuing every Fri. through Sept. 2, experts from the Bat Zone will conduct evening walks at Cranbrook to study bats and their habitats. Visitors will wander through the trails and woodland paths to see some of Cranbrook's bat houses, discuss bat feeding habits, habitats and benefits, and search the skies for some of the bats living on campus. Tour times will vary throughout summer dependent upon nightfall and are limited to fifteen people each. Tickets are $4 for the general public and $3 for CIS and OBC Members.  More information.

 

Water Passage Opens  

Water PassageJune marks the re-opening of the Institute's Water Passage gallery on the lower level near the travelling exhibit hall. Located directly beneath the flow pools in the Erb Family Science Garden, the gallery was closed during the repair of the pools. Visitors will once again be able to learn about rainfall, find out how many gallons of water it takes to make one car, or see and touch a cast of the floor of a now extinct 500-year-old sea. Interactive exhibits allow visitors to create rain, snow, sleet or hail and the Institute's popular Our Great Lakes Watershed kiosk will now be located permanently in the Water Passage. 

Party like it's 250,000,000 BCE! 

Party DinoPlanning a summer birthday party? The Institute of Science offers a unique setting for a birthday party with and ready-made educational fun built in! We have a limited number of spaces for up to twenty children available Sat. and Sun. throughout the year. Each birthday party package includes private use of one of the Institute's Science Labs for up to two hours, access to museum exhibits and any free programs occurring the day of the party and a special Institute of Science gift for the birthday child.  To review party details, check out our website or call 248 645.3210.
About Us
More than 200,000 visitors flock to Cranbrook Institute of Science each year, making it one of the region's best-known museums of natural history.

Founded in 1904 by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen Booth, Cranbrook is an internationally renowned center for art, education and science located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Cranbrook Institute of Science is an integral part of that community, having served area schoolchildren and families since its creation in 1930.