64 replies to this topic

[mcheiss]

The NWA Morning News ran an article this morning about how some musuems might be coming to the area.

The first one is a Kid's Museum. A group of 30 area residents plans to meet with educators and school directors as well as business owners, suppliers and parents during the museum’s planning phase. Among the topics will be where to build the facility. I suspect it will be in Bentonville or Fayetteville, I'm hoping in a downtown area. This museum, from what I understand, would be like a Science Museum with plenty of "Hand's On" Activities. Little Rock has one of these, called Museum of Discovery, which is about 44,000 square feet with around 100,000 visitors a year. Organizers want to incorporate a permanent exhibit, such as an International Kids City that would feature a grocery store, theater, construction site, bank, fire house, jail, restaurant and hospital.

People in Fayetteville are also working on a museum. The Northwest Arkansas Museum Foundation has been working since January 2005 to bring a science and technology museum to the area. I'm not sure how different this would be from the Kids Museum, I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'm hoping as well this is going in the Downtown area of Fayetteville, who know's, may'be it's taking over the Walton Arts Center building.

Overall, I thing these would be fabulous additions to NWA, and are very family oriented. Hope to hear more about this.

[masons_dad1]

^^
This is great news! The plans for the Kid's Museum sounds identical to the Discovery Center in Springfield, MO. If NWA starts getting some of these family-oriented attractions I'd be less motivated to mov to Springfield. Let's hope it's not just more empty promises.

[Mith242]

Great news Matt.  Thanks for posting this, I hadn't heard anything about either one of these.  Hopefully a little more info will start to leak out.


Oh yeah I forgot to add this as well.  I certainly agree with you on the downtown locations.  As far as Fayetteville goes I'd really like to see a museum along West Ave.  Something to better connect the Fayetteville Public Library and the Walton Arts Center.

[Aporkalypse]

Little Rock has a Children's Museum and a Museum of Discovery as well.

I think it would be a good idea to affiliate both at least informally with UA as many undergraduate and graduate students could play a role and be volunteers and/or employees.

[mcheiss]

I think they should directly be affiliated with the Smithsonian, just for traveling exhibits and the fact that Smithsonian has done it right for so long. I like the idea with the museums being afiliated with the UofA as well, it would help with employment and probably better exhibits.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Jun 20 2006, 11:29 PM, said:

I think they should directly be affiliated with the Smithsonian, just for traveling exhibits and the fact that Smithsonian has done it right for so long. I like the idea with the museums being afiliated with the UofA as well, it would help with employment and probably better exhibits.

Yeah a while back there was talk of trying to get a Smithsonian affiliated museum here in Fayetteville.  But talk of that died off when there wasn't any funds for something like that.  It would be nice to see that idea revived.  I'm still a little disappointed I haven't heard more about this.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Jun 21 2006, 02:32 PM, said:

Yeah a while back there was talk of trying to get a Smithsonian affiliated museum here in Fayetteville.  But talk of that died off when there wasn't any funds for something like that.  It would be nice to see that idea revived.  I'm still a little disappointed I haven't heard more about this.

How long ago was this.

Because the paper said that the city has been working since Jan. of 2005 to bring a Science and Industry Museum to the city. May'be this is the Smithsonian affiliated one.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Jun 21 2006, 03:18 PM, said:

How long ago was this.

Because the paper said that the city has been working since Jan. of 2005 to bring a Science and Industry Museum to the city. May'be this is the Smithsonian affiliated one.

It could be then.  I was thinking I had heard this a year and a half or so ago.  Glad to see it didn't totally die then.

[strmchsr77]

There was an article in the Times this morning about the museum and from what I understand it seems to be moving full-steem ahead.  There is not too much on the offical website but I will post the link on here.


Here is the link:Science Museum
Times report: NWA Times

[mcheiss]

I saw that as well.

I'm still curious as to where this will go, any ideas if it will be in Bentonville, Fayetteville, etc?

[strmchsr77]

mcheiss, on Sep 8 2006, 09:34 AM, said:

I saw that as well.

I'm still curious as to where this will go, any ideas if it will be in Bentonville, Fayetteville, etc?

It looks like it will go somewhere in downtown Fayetteville.  I saw something on their website that siad it would be placed near the Uof A and Walton Arts Center.  I would be nice to have an impressive museum in the entertainment district.

[mcheiss]

It makes since for it to be in Fayetteville, with all of the college students and the world renown Nanotechnology facility they have there.

Downtown Bentonville near Crystal Bridges would be a good place for the Kids Musuem, since that's the direction Downtown Bentonville is going.

[strmchsr77]

mcheiss, on Sep 8 2006, 11:36 AM, said:

It makes since for it to be in Fayetteville, with all of the college students and the world renown Nanotechnology facility they have there.

Downtown Bentonville near Crystal Bridges would be a good place for the Kids Musuem, since that's the direction Downtown Bentonville is going.

Yeah, I would agree.  I think it would be smart to put it within walking distance to Crystal Bridges.  They could both help elach other on attendance.  The Childrens museum that is.

Edited by strmchsr77, 08 September 2006 - 05:46 PM.

[Mith242]

strmchsr77, on Sep 8 2006, 11:28 AM, said:

It looks like it will go somewhere in downtown Fayetteville.  I saw something on their website that siad it would be placed near the Uof A and Walton Arts Center.  I would be nice to have an impressive museum in the entertainment district.

That would be a good location for it.  From what I've heard they haven't picked an exact spot yet.  They mentioned something about that many places pick a spot and then end up failing.  They wanted to build up the concept first and plan ahead and then eventually decide a location.  In a way I think getting more people interested in it before they pick some spot that people will think, no that's not a good spot for a museum or something.

[mzweig]

mcheiss, on Sep 8 2006, 11:36 AM, said:

It makes since for it to be in Fayetteville, with all of the college students and the world renown Nanotechnology facility they have there.

Downtown Bentonville near Crystal Bridges would be a good place for the Kids Musuem, since that's the direction Downtown Bentonville is going.

John Lewis, former head of the Bank of Fayetteville, is driving this thing, and the consultant planning it is from Fayetteville as well.  I don't think it will go outside of F-Ville as these guys won't want it anywhere but here.

[Mith242]

Now on the science museum, is this the same museum people were talking about a couple of years ago that could possibly be associated with the Smithsonian, or is this a different project?

[slyder1]

Congrat's NWA! If you want a hint of what the childrens museum might look like.........the Springfield Discovery Center just completed the new addition.  To watch a video on the new addition and what it offers click here:  Discovery Center

[mcheiss]

Thanks Slyder that looks great.

Mith, I'm not sure if this is the same on supposidly associated with Smithsonian or not, but I do know that a group has been trying to get this museum steamrolling since Jan. 2005.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Sep 9 2006, 01:55 PM, said:

Thanks Slyder that looks great.

Mith, I'm not sure if this is the same on supposidly associated with Smithsonian or not, but I do know that a group has been trying to get this museum steamrolling since Jan. 2005.

I think from what I've seen they've actually been trying to get this going since early 2004.  But back then I didn't hear as much info on all of it so I'm not sure if that was a different group or not.  Might be nice if this is the same group and they might try to get some sort of Smithsonian affiliation at some point.

[Aporkalypse]

strmchsr77, on Sep 8 2006, 11:28 AM, said:

It looks like it will go somewhere in downtown Fayetteville.  I saw something on their website that siad it would be placed near the Uof A and Walton Arts Center.  I would be nice to have an impressive museum in the entertainment district.

I agree.  That would be a very good location for it and allows for having university students and faculty involved.