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Cranbrook Institute of ScienceDecember 2012
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In This Issue
Holiday Hours
Science of Winter
Special Shows
Mission to the Abyss
Last Minute Gift Ideas
Social Media
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Holiday Hours at the Institute of Science

Dec. 24, 2012-Jan. 2, 2013

 

Please note the institute of Science will be closed December 24, 25 and 31, 2012 and January 1, 2013. We wish you safe and happy holiday season!

Greetings!

 

Happy Holidays! The Institute will offer special activities during the school break period December 26-30. We'll look at Michigan winters past and present, open the new observatory for special tours, and expand our planetarium and bat show schedule.

 

Many of you may have read about Eric Stamatin and Andrew Gainariu, two boys from Macomb County who discovered a mastodon axis bone while exploring near their home. If you missed this story you can read it here . This story was picked up nationally and internationally and is a wonderful reminder of the science that can be found in our backyard! As a special opportunity for our visitors during the holiday, Adam and Andrew have graciously loaned the Institute their find for display during the holiday season! Make sure you visit the Institute to see the most recent specimen of Michigan's State Fossil.

 

As a special thank you to our Members, we are expanding your Membership privileges to include free admission for any child under the age 12 who is accompanied by an Institute Member December 26-30, 2012. We hope this will encourage you to share the Institute of Science experience with your holiday guests.

 

We wish you a very happy holiday season and hope to see you soon.

 

Go Science! 

Discover the Beauty, Wonder, and Science of Winter in Ice Age Michigan and Beyond!    
 

The marvels of the winter season are the subject of the Institute's annual free holiday activities in Ice Age Michigan and Beyond December 26-30 from 1 until 4pm each day. Experiences and activities, both indoors and outdoors, will reveal the science behind the coldest of the seasons. Indoors, explore the local evidence for an ice age climate by seeing and touching 14,000 year old ice age fossils from the Institute collections, including mastodon and mammoth bones, teeth and tusks from southeast Michigan and real mammoth hair from Siberia. How the people and animals living in the Arctic have adapted to their chilly environment will be demonstrated and visitors can try on and make a pair of Snow Goggles to take home! Downstairs, in the Extreme Deep exhibition, observe our newly hatched Chinook Salmon as they await release into local rivers next spring. Outdoors, gather around a cheerful fire in Cranbrook's newly relocated and rebuilt wigwam and study pelts and tools from the fur trade era. Then, listen to traditional stories from the Native Peoples, Voyageurs, and settlers of the Great Lakes that speak of the danger and beauty of winter in Michigan.  Ice Age Michigan and Beyond activities are free with admission. Click here for a complete listing of events offered.

Special Planetarium, Bat Show and Observatory Times    

 

Cranbrook Institute of Science celebrates the school break with special daytime programming in the planetarium, bat shows, and tours of the new Observatory December 26-30. In addition to regularly scheduled planetarium shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, special show times have been added on the hour during the day from 11:30 am to 3:30pm on December 26, 27 and 28.   The Bat Zone also presents tours at 12:30 and 2:30 the same days. In addition, the Institute will open its new observatory for tours from 1 to 4pm on December 26-29. Check here for prices. The observatory tour is free with admission.

 

To preview planetarium program trailers visit here.

Discover the Mysteries of the Ocean Floor in EXTREME DEEP: Mission to the Abyss

 

extreme deep

Cranbrook Institute of Science takes visitors to the ocean floor in its latest temporary exhibition EXTREME DEEP: Mission to the Abyss. EXTREME DEEP offers opportunities for hands-on exploration of the bottom of the sea. Newly discovered life forms, thermal vents, close-up views of deep-sea research submersibles, and shipwrecks, including the Titanic, are among the attractions in this deep-dive adventure.  Visitors will interact with the type of technology that has allowed travel to the ocean floor, learn about the work of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and experience the adventure of maritime exploration and discovery. Biology, chemistry, geology, history, exploration, and the critical role that deep water research technology plays in better understanding our world and its future, are highlighted.

 

EXTREME DEEP is free with admission and runs through May 26, 2013. EXTREME DEEP is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. 

Need a Last Minute Gift? Visit the Science Shop or Purchase a Gift Membership!
   
EXTREME DEEP gifts range from $4.95 to $18.95 before discount.

The Science Shop at the Institute of Science is the perfect destination for gift shopping during the holiday season.  A wide selection of books, toy, jewelry, games and educational toy and kits offer something for everyone on your gift list. The Science Shop is also now featuring exhibit merchandise for Extreme Deep.  Proceeds from sales at the Science Shop help benefit the Museum and its programs. You do not need to pay admission to visit the Shop which is open Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday Noon until 4 p.m. Shop online here.   

 

What could be better than a full year of science exploration? Gift memberships to Cranbrook Institute of Science allow you to give a gift that your loved ones can enjoy year round and that you can truly feel good about giving! With 16 different categories to choose among, all can be activated anytime within 12 months of purchase and will provide joy, education, and entertainment for your recipients for a full year. Wrap up your holiday shopping with this special membership offer:

 

Buy ONE GIFT MEMBERSHIP at 10% OFF

Get the SECOND GIFT MEMBERSHIP at 50%OFF!

 

Call 248 645.3245 to order your gift memberships today or purchase gift certificates at Cranbrook Institute of Science during your next visit. Give the gift that offers a great way to learn and have fun on each visit! Offer expires January 4, 2013. Offer does not apply to previous membership purchases/renewals and cannot be redeemed online.

 

In the spirit of the season we hope you will consider supporting the Institute's Annual Fund. Make a gift that means something special to you and impacts the scientists of tomorrow! All Annual Fund gifts to Cranbrook Institute of Science are tax-deductible and help to bring science to life. Your contributions help us install exciting new exhibits, create electrifying programs for young children at the Institute and in their own classrooms, present thought-provoking lectures, and much more. Every gift matters! Consider making a donation in the name of a family member, friend or colleague as a holiday gift. Go Green and make your gift online at science.cranbrook.edu or by calling 248 645.3245.