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Our Family Fun Day series continues with Botanicals of the South Family Fun Day this Saturday (April 4th) from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Families are invited to glimpse the Natural South, learn of William Bartram and how he recorded species of plants, flowers, and trees, discover Baron Von Reck’s voyages through Georgia, and create their own leaf rubbings to take home.

The film, The Curious Mr. Catesby, will be on view in the History Theater. The documentary explores the life and works of Mark Catesby, who as an explorer, was the first to conduct a critical study of the lush and varied habitat of North America, particularly the southeast colonies and the environs of the Lowcountry and Piedmont areas. His meticulous paintings and etchings of birds and plants captured the diverse natural beauty of colonial America 100 years before Audubon.

Family Fun Days are FREE with regular Museum admission: $4 for Adults, $3 for Seniors, $2 for Children, and free for members and children under age 5. It will be a great day for any of your Masters guests with children arriving in town early for the tournament, or if you just want to escape the hustle and bustle of a busy weekend!

For more information about Botanicals of the South Family Fun Day or additional family programming, contact the Museum at (706) 722-8454.

Girl Scout Days: Women's Stories Badge

Local Junior Girl Scouts from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia Council came to the Museum Saturday for a full program centered around Women's Stories. Just in time for Women's History Month, Junior Scouts looked at the role of women through news and stories of female role models. They created their own collages and developed and played their own women's history game.

Each of the Junior Scouts earned their Women's Stories Badge at the end of the program!

Here are some photos of their impressive collages:

The reviews are in!

What a great response we had Saturday for the unveiling of the new museum theatre program! We even had to add a fourth show for visitors because it was so popular!

Here are a few highlights from reviews:

“…when history comes alive it takes up a whole new meaning and really gets people, especially children, interested in learning more.”

“Very interesting approach to add interest to the existing exhibits!”

“Great performance, hopefully the first of many. Look forward to new developments!”

“The actor brought the Petersburg Boat alive, gave me a greater appreciation of the river and the men who oared the boat. Great performance!”

Next performance is April 11th - try not to miss it!

Georgia! Carolina! The boat pilot would yell

The Museum Theatre Program Unveiling is almost here! Shows at 10:00, 12:00, and 1:00 on Saturday. Next run - April 11th, in case you miss it.

Here's a glimpse from dress rehearsel yesterday evening:

So what is this museum theatre stuff?

What is Museum Theatre? The Museum Theatre program is comprised of characters, real or fictionalized with short monologues written using primary and secondary sources, including newspaper reports, diaries, biographies, and oral histories. Performed in the Museum’s galleries, the program is designed to engage the visitor in a thought- provoking dialogue relating to the issues and events of the period and to give context to the artifacts and images on display.

Through the use of theatrical techniques, museum theatre brings to life the stories of people in the context of their era and draws upon primary sources to create characters that present history in an innovative and engaging manner. Museum theatre provides the opportunity to create an experience more conducive to various types of learners, and by giving a face to history makes learning more personal and relevant to visitors. Museums have turned to theatre as a successful medium for educating and enhancing the experience that happens within a museum.

New Program starts Saturday

The Augusta Museum of History is pleased to present the unveiling of a new program – Voices of the Past on Saturday, March 7, 2009. The program is a series of character monologues presented in museum theatre format, and is supported through grant funding from the Porter Fleming Foundation.

“The Augusta Museum of History is excited to offer such an imaginative and new approach in bringing local history to life for Museum audiences,” said Nancy Glaser, Executive Director of the Augusta Museum of History.

Voices of the Past begins with the performance, A Petersburg Boat Pilot, based on oral histories provided by Elberton, Georgia resident, Mr. ‘Buck’ Balchin, about his grandfather, James Henry Balchin, who from the mid-nineteenth century until 1900, crewed and piloted cotton boats from Petersburg to Augusta.

The premiere of the Augusta Museum of History’s museum theatre program will occur on Saturday, March 7, 2009. Performances times are 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm.