A bit of History

[tbutler]

University of Kansas' Natural History Museum. Building dates back to 1901, so definitely a bit of history there. :)

It's a beautiful old building in some ways, and they've got quite a collection. Sadly, it has an institutional feel to it at times:



You've got to respect them for the number of exhibits, though; while it often feels like you're looking at 30-year-old exhibits (not the items in them; the exhibits themselves feel like something reaching forward out of a dated era), what's in them is very much worthy of your time.

(Also worthy of respect - the building is the working home of multiple KU departments, as you can spot working labs at various points as you explore the building.)

Comments

[yhlee]

That first pic looks great. Interesting shade of green in the second one--not bad, but somehow medical. (Of course, I think medical things are soothing...for years I found hospitals soothing because my dad's a surgeon.)

[tbutler]

Yup, 'medical' is exactly the feel I get from those corridors, too. Along with 'institutional'. Even though it's open to the public, areas like that give me the feel of something aimed at researchers and grad students.

I'll be posting pics in the next couple of days of areas that look more like a public museum, albeit a fairly old one; they really feel like something out of the 60s or 70s.

[affreca]

And that's where I spent much of my childhood. Mom and Dad had their grad student offices across the street in Spooner Hall. Other than agreeing that it hasn't been updated since, I can not be objective. I still love so many of the exhibits. (I think the problem is that KU no longer has a museum studies program)

[tbutler]

Heck, why would anyone demand you be objective? Fond childhood memories are fond childhood memories, and these have a better reason than most...

I admit to a certain nostalgia myself; I think the first time I saw this one was when I was a KU student, but I have fond memories of museums growing up that this one triggers. :) And to be completely fair, the friends I was visiting with this time brought their 7-year-old, and he seemed to have a great time. :)