Tag Archives: Museum of Discovery

ARKANSAS GIVES today!

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Arkansans have a heart for giving. On April 2, 2015, let’s join together to grow the love for our state’s nonprofit organizations. Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., we’re challenging all Arkansans to give to the charities of their choice.

During this one-day event, each donation you give will help your favorite nonprofit organizations qualify for additional bonus dollars from Arkansas Community Foundation. All participating nonprofits will receive a portion of a $250,000 match pool; the more a nonprofit raises, the more of the bonus dollars it will receive.

There are many worthwhile non-profits participating.  But since this is a Little Rock culture blog, here is a listing of cultural non-profits serving Little Rock which are participating.

Little Rock Look Back: MacArthur Returns….to Little Rock

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General MacArthur and Mayor Remmel

General MacArthur and Mayor Remmel

On Sunday, March 23, 1952, General Douglas MacArthur made his only post-infancy visit to Little Rock. He had previously been scheduled to visit Mississippi, and Little Rock Mayor Pratt Remmel had persuaded him to add a visit to Little Rock to the agenda. The fact that Little Rock now had a Republican mayor had apparently piqued the General’s interest.

General MacArthur, accompanied by his wife and son as well as several journalists and members of his military retinue, arrived at Little Rock Airport at 10:40 am. He was met by a delegation of civic leaders including Mayor Remmel. Alderman James Griffey made welcoming remarks on behalf of the city. Then the General and Mayor boarded an open car and led a motorcade from the airport to downtown.

The motorcade’s destination was Christ Episcopal Church at Capitol and Scott streets. It was at this church that MacArthur had been baptized as an infant. The delegation was greeted by the Episcopal Bishop R. Bland Mitchell, Rector J. Hodge Alves, and Rector Emeritus W. P. Witsell. (While he had been Rector, Dr. Witsell had garnered national attention by issuing an Easter blessing to Gen. MacArthur as he had been evacuating the Philippines at the height of World War II.) In order to gain admittance to the church that morning, church members and guests had to have tickets.

Following the worship service, the General and his party went to three events in the park named in his honor. The first was a tour of the Museum of Natural History (now the Museum of Discovery and located in the River Market; the current tenant of the building is the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History), which was located in the building in which the General had been born. After the tour, he spoke at a dedication of a small rose garden adjacent to the museum. It was sponsored by the Little Rock City Beautiful Commission and the Garden Clubs of Greater Little Rock.

Though every stop of the General’s visit had featured crowds, the largest was at the third location in MacArthur Park. A crowd of several thousand greeted the General as he spoke from the Foster Bandshell in the park’s southwest corner. Chamber of Commerce president Richard C. Butler (brother-in-law of Mayor Remmel) was the master of ceremonies. Following an invocation by Methodist Bishop Paul Martin, the only other speaker was the General. In his remarks he spoke of his Southern heritage and of his appreciation for the support of the citizens of Little Rock over the years.

Several gifts were bestowed upon the MacArthurs at the ceremony. The City of Little Rock presented Mrs. MacArthur with an engraved silver serving tray.

Following the events in MacArthur Park, the family retired for a brief respite to the Hotel Marion. They then attended a luncheon buffet in their honor at the home of Howard and Elsie Stebbins on Edgehill Road. The General and Mrs. MacArthur circulated through the house greeting guests and then eschewed a special table in favor of balancing their plates on their laps and sitting in wingback chairs. Meanwhile Arthur MacArthur stayed upstairs and discussed stamp collecting and other hobbies with the Stebbins’ two teenage sons.

Following the luncheon, the MacArthur party went back to the airport and by 4:00pm, the plane was in the air.

Though this visit was coming at the end of a whirlwind of activities, by all accounts, the General and Mrs. MacArthur were very gracious and accommodating. The General was being mentioned as a potential GOP candidate for President, but purposefully steered clear of any political comments in his remarks. He and Mrs. MacArthur dutifully posed for photos not only for the media but also for amateur photographers. At lunch, the General even asked a Gazettephotographer to take a photo of him with his Little Rock Police motorcycle escorts so that they could have a souvenir of the visit.

Spring Break activities at the Museum of Discovery

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The Museum of Discovery has special events planned during Sprint Break.

Monday, March 23 – Tuesday, March 24
Celebrate spring break at the Museum of Discovery with special guests from AETN – Arkansas Educational Television Network!

Meet and have photos taken with PBS KIDS characters Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat Monday, March 23, and Peg + Cat, Tuesday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

There will be science demos and special programming throughout the week.

Tinkering Studio
Open all Day

Meet the Museum Animals
9:30 to 10 a.m.
10:15 to 10:45 a.m.
11 to 11:30 a.m.
12 to 12:30 p.m.
1:30 to 2 p.m.
2:15 to 2:45 p.m.
3 to 3:30 p.m.
3:45 to 4:15 p.m.

Science Demos in Front of Discovery Hall Sign
11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
12:15 to 12:30 p.m.
2:15 to 2:45 p.m.

Kevin Delaney’s Awesome Science Shows in the Theater
1 to 1:45 p.m.
3 to 3:45 p.m.

Story Time in Room to Grow
10 a.m.
12 p.m.
2 p.m.
3:30 p.m.

Craft Stations
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wiggle Worms : The Science of Magic Sand; 10am on Tuesday

 

Science demos, shows and animal programs will continue throughout the week.

 

Little Rock Look Back: St. Patrick’s Day with Mayor Pat L.  Robinson 

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On this date in 1900, future Little Rock Mayor Pat L. Robinson was born.  While I cannot verify that he was indeed named after St. Patrick, it would be fairly reasonable to assume there might be a connection, especially given the fact that he was Catholic.

Robinson was a rising star of Little Rock Democratic politics.  In April 1929, just weeks after his 29th birthday, he was elected Mayor.  He had twice been elected as City Attorney (1926 and 1928) and was one of the youngest to serve in that position.

During Mayor Robinson’s tenure, he announced plans to construct a new airport.  That project led to the creation of what is now the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.  Mayor Robinson was also involved in helping Philander Smith College secure the property where it is now located.  In addition, during his tenure, what is now the Museum of Discovery was folded into the City of Little Rock.

Single at the time he was in office and generally considered good looking, Mayor Robinson was sometimes referred to as the “Jimmy Walker of the Southwest.” Walker was the handsome and charming Mayor of New York City at the time.

Mayor Robinson ran afoul of some of the Democratic party leaders. Records don’t seem to indicate exactly what actions he took or did not take.  One thing that is brought up is that the City went into financial distress during his tenure.  Considering the Wall Street crash happened shortly after he took office, that financial state was not unique to Little Rock.

IMG_4532During this era in Little Rock, it was customary for an incumbent mayor to be given a second term. But City Clerk Horace Knowlton challenged Robinson in the primary.  It was a bitter campaign with Robinson linking Knowlton to disreputable denizens and Knowlton charging Robinson with “an orgy of spending.”  Robinson initially came out 17 votes ahead. But after a review and a lawsuit, it was found that Knowlton ended up with 10 more votes and became the nominee.  At the time, being the Democratic nominee was tantamount to election.

After he left office, Robinson practiced law for a few years in Little Rock and then left the city.  Records do not indicate where he went but he no longer appeared in the City of Little Rock directory by the early 1940s.

PI Day at the Museum of Discovery 

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Today is not just PI Day, it is a very special PI Day. 

PI Day is an annual celebration commemorating the mathematical constant PI.  This year is extra special–once in a lifetime–because at exactly 9:26:53a.m. It will be 3.14.15; 9:26:53. Those are the first 10 ungrounded dugouts of PI in perfect order. It is a feat that will be unrepeated until 2115.

The Museum of Discovery has rounded up (pun intended) some activities to mark the occasion.

  • There will be special hands-on activities in the Great Hall. 
  • An interactive reading of Sir Cumference and the Dragon of PI led by Visitor Experience Director Kevin Delaney in the theatre at 1pm and 3pm. 
  • At 10am there will be Wiggle Worm activities
  • Awesome Science demonstrations at 11am and 2pm

And while in the River Market District you can enjoy pizza pies at Gusanos, Jay’s, Iriana’s, or Damgoode.

Meander through Mindbender Mansion at the Museum of Discovery 

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Mister E. and the Mindbender Society invite you to enter the wonderfully puzzling world of Mindbender Mansion, an eclectic place full of puzzles, brainteasers, and interactive challenges guaranteed to test the brain power and problem solving skills of even the most experienced puzzlers. Adults and children alike will enjoy exercising their minds as they try to master each of the 11 individual brain teasers and the three group activities in this fun and unconventional new exhibit.

Visitors to Mindbender Mansion will be greeted by the wacky Mr. E., master brainteaser and puzzler extraordinaire, and current curator of the Mindbender Society. He will explain the mysteries of Mindbender Mansion and how to become a member of the eccentric Mindbender Society by gathering hidden clues and secret passwords. The clues can only be found by solving key puzzles found in select themed areas. 

Throughout the exhibit visitors will find a combination of tabletop brainteasers they can solve on their own and larger group challenges that require assistance from their fellow mansion guests. 

The group challenges include:

  • Feeding Frenzy-Kitchen mayhem is guaranteed in a race to beat the clock by filling T.V. dinner trays (with five kinds of food) on a fast moving conveyer belt.
  • Spelling Fever-Hopscotch meets Scrabble® in this race to spell correct words within a limited amount of time by hopping on letter squares that light up.  
  • Amazing Maze-In this version of the classic steel ball labyrinth game visitors must work together to tilt a table in different directions, guiding a ball into six holes as quickly as possible. 

Upon completing each of the select brainteasers and group challenges, visitors will have gathered the necessary clues and secret passwords to become a member of the Mindbender Society and add their portrait to the “Wall of Fame.”

$1 Day at Museum of Discovery Today

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From 1pm to 5pm today, admission to the Museum of Discovery is only $1 per person.

The Little Rock Marathon will still be finishing up to the west of the museum, but that means there will be other activities to enjoy in addition to the Museum.

A featured exhibit is Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed.  This new and in-depth look at the prehistoric creatures that once roamed the Earth educates as well as excites visitors. 

It dispels common misconceptions and engages young and old visitors alike with hands on interactive exhibits like a fossil dig pit, timeline matching game, and much more. Guests can get up close looks at life-size skulls, arms, feet and everything in between.