Roadside Mysteries

OK, it’s really the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

Panorama of the wind/water hands on exhibits plus something about sugar beet farming

The REAL NATIVE Coloradoans and the story of the invaders.

Native plants and animals

And music! Can’t forget music.

The above images were captured during the museum’s first week in operation. This 47,000 square foot museum successfully combines history and science that many museums around the country and perhaps even the world have never dreamed of doing… We are all watching to see what the future holds at this spot on the North side of town.

First reported here and now here’s the second part:

Taking a tour in June of this year, looking north toward the Poudre River

I believe we are on the top of the main roof of the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center; Yes, I think that’s what they are calling it. Whatever, I know it’s going to be fantastic!

Looking down from the roof

We are looking at these curved cement structures. I’m thinking that they are for the tiered landscaping that will 1) Look really nice and 2) ward off the water when the Pouder River floods.

What’s inside on this north facing wall

It will have these three exhibits: “Live Animals”, Wildlands and Wildlife” and “First Peoples”.  A concave regional bio-diversity wall reflects back to a double sided anthropological/archaeological display. There will be live animals of some sort, but for now it’s a secret what they will be.  I’ll be back for a closer look when the interior walls are completed sometime this Fall.

On the north-east corner of Mason and Cherry streets in Fort Collins:

A New Building Project!

With the expected completion in the Fall of 2011, the Fort Collins Discovery Museum will be one hell of a fantastic 40,000 square foot experiment that will join the city’s historical museum with a state of the art ‘Big City Feeling’ science center. Designed by Gyroscope, Inc., the new museum will have loads of storage space and areas for traveling exhibits. This is not a good thing, this is a GREAT thing!

Some floor plans:

Roadside Mysteries has obtained the final design set exhibit plan for the new museum and will show the parts of the museum that are of particular interest. We have chosen the “Sound and Music” section first because we find it especially fitting for Fort Collins.

Figure 1

The above section shows at top center the “Match That Tone” station reminiscent of the original station in the old museum. To the right of that is a collection of “Fort Collins Music”, or music produced by local artists (Think FoCoMX). Heck, there might even be a sample of Fort Collin’s premier Samba band “Bloco Em FoCo” someplace?

In the center of figure 1 is the five-sided “Melodic Percussion Booth” that is surrounded by instrumental work stations, listening chairs, trio stations, mash-up stations and a DJ scratch table. Also note the “Innovation Wall” that includes a BEAMZ player, a Theramin and a glass harmonica.

Figure 2

The exhibits in figure 2 above are still interactive as in figure 1, but are a little more related to the technical and historical aspect of sound and music. Devices like the oscylinder scope and ripple tank can help explain the theory of sound while the radio and gramophone exhibits help us fogies illustrate what “The Good Old Days” were like to the young’uns. Oh, and don’t forget the “Drum Jam” circle on the bottom center of Figure 2!

OK, I know what you’re thinking. It’s going to be a mad house, a “distracting cacophony of chaos”. Well apparently there is an association of science and technology centers who have it all figured out. Lookie HERE if you want. Whatever! If you don’t like it, don’t bother to come in, you old fogy!

Click HERE to see a little video produced for the museum.