The Milwaukee Public Museum was just right. Not too big and not too small. We really enjoyed visiting.
Dinosaurs are always a big hit. David and Mary love to determine if a dinosaur is an herbivore or carnivore.
Here is David posed at the edge of a (fake) glacier.
Our house is at what once was the edge of a glacier. So is David's school.
There was an AMAZING butterfly house. Greg and I thought it was wonderful!
Our kids did not. They were totally FREAKED OUT. ?!?!? (By the way, David told me not to tell anyone that he was afraid of butterflies. Oops. I just told the whole world.)
But Mary was pleased as punch to perch on this giant beetle. Whatever.
I really liked the European Village. It was a quick, easy, and effective way to compare and contrast a lot of European cultures. (Rick Steves is right--Europe is an amazing place! Such diversity of culture in a relatively small area.) Last summer paid off. My kids can identity a Scandinavian house versus a German one. Kind of freaky. (The best part of the whole day was when we walked by the Russian house. David spontaneously broke out into a Russian dance. So adorable I almost died.)
Before we stopped for lunch, I told the kids they had to smile for a picture. No smiles? No lunch.
Mary was grumpy. But, as you can see, David was very hungry and determined to get lunch.
After lunch we headed upstairs. I really enjoyed the third floor. You could cover Africa, Asia, Australia, Oceania, South and Central America in less than an hour. Sure, the collections weren't as extensive, important, or impressive as, say the Field Museum or the British Museum. But it also wasn't overwhelming. It was manageable and provided a nice overview. Also, I'm a fan of the good old-fashioned diorama. (David especially enjoyed the miniature ones.)
As our kids get older, outings like this become more and more fun. It was a great way to spend the day.
P.S. It was super easy to love the MPM because we didn't have to pay for admission--our Boonshoft Museum membership got us in the door. We keep renewing our membership year after year. Love the Boonshoft!
