Exploring the Montshire Museum

     With the impending winter storm coming for us this weekend let's talk about something very local to us, Montshire Museum. This museum is fun for all ages and is a perfect spot to escape from the house. Located right off highway 91 close to Hanover, the Montshire seems to be an escape into a world of science. There are tons of indoor activities, along with a water science park (summer only) and hiking trails. 

I think if you are feeling adventurous and want to venture onto the trails do this last with your little ones, that way you don't try to explore the museum with cold, wet children. The longest trail offered here is the Planet Walk. This trail is three miles roundtrip and will take you through the solar system. You will start with the Sun, then travel through space past the planets through an asteroid belt, all the way to the dwarf planet of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. This hike can be a lot of fun as you travel along the river but may not be suitable for little legs. Some easier trails are the Meadow Walk being the easiest at 0.3 miles and Blood Brook Trail next at 0.4 miles. As the name says the Meadow Walk stays within the meadow and can be most enjoyable in the spring and summer when plants are blooming. The Blood Brook Trail has a little more variety to it as you will hike through the meadow, into the woods, and along the river, before heading back.

But enough with this outdoor stuff! We are done with snow right? Don't worry the Montshire makes sure to have exciting exhibits inside to keep you and the kids entertained for hours. If your child is old enough, I would make sure they know they are not allowed to leave the floor level you are on and then let them explore at their own pace. 

As you enter you can stop at Give It A Whirl and see how many balls can you spin at once. From there you can choose where to head, if your children are young enough head over to Wonder Woods (5 and under) if not head for the Bubbles. Can you make a full bubble sphere? Spend some time in Chain Reaction and see what you notice. Before you head upstairs gather your child and wander around the Local Waters Exhibit and the Natural World Exhibit. 

As you head up stairs start by checking out the Air Works Exhibit to learn what happens when you redirect air flow and so much more. Move into the Music Section when you are done playing with air. Here you can play different instruments and learn more about the history of music. In the Science Discovery Lab you will be lead by a staff
member through a scientific discovery. From there head into the Planetary Landscapes especially if you were interested in doing the Planet Walk. Through this exhibit and a little imagination you will experience the atmosphere on different planets. Once you are done exploring other planets head over to the Creative Building Center. This area is created to encourage open-ended, imaginative play. Let you kids spend a lot of time here, open-ended, imaginative play is very important. If you are with older kids head over to the Solve It area and put their problem solving skills to the test with various puzzles. If you are with younger kids head to the Bees Exhibit and see if you can find the Queen Bee. 

From here you can choose to be done or head up to the third and fourth floor (both are small areas). The third floor has the Light Around Us Exhibit and the fourth floor has the Fog Room Exhibit. I personal would head up and check out these rooms because it is always worth it! Lastly the fifth floor has the Observation Deck, during good weather this is a fun area to explore. 

I don't want to go too much longer here so I will say one last thing. The Montshire used to have Adult Nights. These nights had to stop during Covid and haven't started up yet. There is a rumor that Adult Nights will be returning this summer. If you haven't you need to go thats all.  

Enjoy and Be Safe,

Rachel