Little People and Big Dinos
Exploring Fernbank Museum in Atlanta
Earlier this month my family had the opportunity to check out the Fernbank Museum in Atlanta. This was our first trip to this particular museum, but even before we got there we knew it would become a family favorite.
It has dinosaurs.
Well, it has dinosaur bones, which, really is plenty for two 4 and 5-year-old kids who relish the chance the dive into the Cretaceous any chance they get. I don’t know what they would have done if there had been real dinosaurs.
We arrived fairly soon after opening and immediately indulged our kids’ desires for dinos. It was hard not to since there was an absolutely stunning Argentinosaurus dominating the very first room we entered.
Since there were still some hours until the Paleontologist was planning to speak to the kids, we decided to take a look around their expansive grounds while we waited. We took our time following a walkway through the greenery of the surrounding forest and checked out the different Halloween decorations that are already prominent along the path.
We also stopped by the playground area where we let our kids burn off some of the energy that has been building up in them during our extra time inside this year. While it wasn’t the most impressive playground as far as the variety of equipment, it is impressively decorated, with the play equipment itself being made to look like fallen logs and rocks. My kids loved the chance to express their inner adventurers, and when we moved on it was with the promise of coming back to play some more before we left for the day.
Continuing along the paths, we found a number of educational pathways with features made to look like giant sweet gum balls or animal tracks. While I could have used a bit more in the way of explanation for their outdoor exhibits, simply being in the midst of the woods and feeling free to explore was worth the trip. We even saw a pair of hawks that flew low over our heads before settling in a nearby tree!
After arriving back at the main building we still had some time to explore, and so headed into an exhibit of some of the most beautiful seashells I have ever seen, before coming back to hear the Paleontologist speak.
As we settled in to listen to the talk on the skeletons arrayed before us, I couldn’t help but let my gaze linger on the enormity of the Argentinosaurus. One of the largest animals to ever live, it captured my imagination and hasn’t yet let go. Needless to say, my little dinosaur lovers were also smitten.
By the end of the presentation, we only had time for one last exhibit, and the requisite return to the playground, before we left for the day. Our final exhibit was A Walk Through Time in Georgia, where we were able to see models of all manner of prehistoric animals from Georgia’s past. While a great variety of times and creatures were available for our viewing pleasure, my kids once again found themselves focusing on the dinosaurs. There’s just something about them.
From the bones of giant dinosaurs dominating the indoor exhibits to the modern-day nature surrounding their outdoor walkways, Fernbank was absolutely captivating. While Fernbank is far from the largest natural history museum out there we found that it was more than enough museum for our family. Without a doubt, we will be coming back.
