A Trip to the North Museum

Holden and I were recently invited to check out the newly-renovated North Museum of Nature and Science in Lancaster, PA. I was excited to have an afternoon to spend as “just the girls,” though my excitement was checked as soon as we got in the car:

Luckily, she perked up by the time we got to the museum, which is an unassuming building that blends pretty well into the Franklin & Marshall College campus.

Holden told the sweet lady at the ticket counter that she wanted to see the dinosaurs, but only if they were nice. The lady assured her that there are only nice dinosaurs at the North Museum.

The museum is recently renovated, so there were a few of these signs hanging around:

But no real signs of the place being under construction were to be found once inside. I had never visited the North Museum prior to this trip, so I have no comparison, but wowza. Talk about a visual impact as soon as you enter:

So many cool things for kids of all ages to play around with.

Lots of hands-on activities to keep little hands busy.

Holden really enjoyed what I’ll call “busy boxes”–themed boxes with different activities inside.

She did not care for the box full of animal feet.

Anytime she gets to touch a screen is a plus.

Or play with things that move, shake and make noise.

We really enjoyed the amphibian and small animal room.

We loved these two turtles who were “holding hands.”

Holden’s favorite exhibits were, of course, the dinosaurs… who were all very nice.

She wasn’t quite sure what to make of this guy.

But loved this guy.

At one point she escaped from me and ran around an “Employees Only” corner, where she was delighted to find this dinosaur butt.

Overall, a really fun trip, even with an almost-three-year-old. Perfect for a rainy afternoon when you need to get out of the house for everyone’s wellbeing.

If you go:

www.northmuseum.org

Tuesday – Saturday (10 am – 5 pm)
Sunday (12 noon – 5 pm)

Summer Hours:
June 1 through August 31
Open Mondays throughout the Summer

Museum Only
Adult – $9.00
Youth (3 – 17 years) – $8.00
Senior (65+) – $8.00
Child (2 and under) – Free

Museum & SciDome Theater
Adult – $13.00
Junior (3 – 17 years) – $12.00
Senior (65+) – $12.00
Child (2 and under) – Free

SciDome Theater Only
Adult – $7.00
Youth (3 – 17 years) – $6.00
Seniors (65+) – $6.00
Child (2 and under) – Free