Great Valley Museum
2201 Blue Gum Ave, Modesto, CA 95358, United States
The Great Valley Museum opens eyes, touches hearts and inspires action to discover, respect and protect our natural heritage and the environment. Science literacy and the unique Central Valley are fostered by engaging students , educators and the community through on-site and outreach programs. The museum acts as a resource for educational institutions, including Modesto Junior College.
Their home in the Science Community Center on the Modesto Junior College West campus gives you the wonders of science and nature:
- View of native habitat in the Central Valley of California
- The Discovery Room
- Physics on a 3-D globe Sphere (SOS)
- Virtual Periodic Table
- Tours, lectures, and field trips
- Displays the Planetarium
- Traveling Teacher outreach programmes
The Science Community Center is also home to the Science Mathematics & Engineering Division. A new $70 million, 109,632 SF, four-storey building featuring a planetarium, observatory, lecture halls, science laboratory classrooms, laboratory prep spaces, staff offices and ancillary spaces. The building also houses the Great Valley Museum, which contains natural history displays, a lecture hall, a museum store and outdoor displays.
The planetary display is amazing. The 40-foot dome ceiling has taken parts of the earth and the world in a way that no one has ever seen before. This show is planned for Jr ages. High and beyond that. Shows are also appropriate for smaller groups beginning at age 4.
The museum has some amazing exhibits and very experienced teachers to lead you on a very informative tour. There are museum areas reflecting the various types of ecosystems found in this area.
They even have a children’s exploration area complete with a variety of snakes and even a few tarantulas that people are lucky enough to be able to get really close to for a very cool look.
This is another Valley jewel that has modernized but still retains a relatively low-screen & low-fluorescent aesthetics. It has medium-sized but unprecedented displays of local flora and fauna. There’s a play area for the kids with magna-tiles, etc.