Museum's Calendar Lists a Holiday Themed Scavenger Hunt

 

November 24, 2021

Long before there was TV, radio, and even moving pictures, the stereoscope viewer was the entertainment device of choice for viewing 3D images of the world. Museum Director Samantha French demonstrates how a person might use the stereoscope.

In conjunction with the Parade of Lights, the Blaine County Museum will be hosting a Christmas Scavenger Hunt this Friday, November 26 from noon until five o'clock. According to Museum Director Samantha French, the activity promises to be fun and educational for the whole family.

To generate some interest in the museum's collections, French has designed a holiday-themed scavenger hunt through the facility. While the hunt is best suited for youth in the 5-10 age group, French encourages everyone to participate. She believes that older youth will be able to complete the hunt on their own but that the younger ones may need some guidance.

"The scavenger hunt will be fashioned like the I Spy search-and-find riddles but with historical information. Because they often feature stunning collections, I think museums remind a lot of people of the classic I Spy series of books. Our hunt will feature toys, as well as winter and holiday-themed objects," French explained. "Anyone wishing to participate can just pick up a worksheet and check off the items as they are discovered."

All who complete the scavenger hunt will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win some prizes related to items featured in the hunt. For example, if one of the items on the hunt were a stereoscope, a related prize might be a View-Master.

Relatively popular in the 19th century, stereoscopes were essentially 3D viewers that used cards called stereographs. The design was refined, with inventors crafting hand-held devices that people could raise to their eyes, insert a card with stereo images, and view a scene that magically came to life. Stereoscopy has been called the original virtual reality.

"Stereographs featured famous sites, cities, events, and people. A stereoscope allowed people to 'travel' to another place and step inside the life and times of another culture," French explained. Stereoscopic entertainment continued to be popular until the 1930s, when interests shifted to the growing movie industry.

Hoping to intrigue visitors and to generate foot traffic for the museum, French will use the Scavenger Hunt activity through the holidays until the end of December, although prizes likely won't be available beyond the special event on November 26.

French also wished to remind area residents about November's special bookstore promotion. "Did you know that we have Montana's last best bookstore? We offer hundreds of titles related to Montana, the West, and much more," French said.

All Native American titles are 40% off, with 25% off bookstore wide. One of the featured titles that is being discounted 40% for Native American Heritage Month is We Had a Little Real Estate Problem, which is a history of Native contributions to American comedy.

"Besides books, the museum gift shop has several good ideas for holiday shoppers," French suggested.

In other news, the museum is still inviting community members to volunteer at the Blaine County Museum (BCM). According to French, "If you're great with people, this is an opportunity designed for you!"

The museum is looking for volunteers to work Saturdays during the winter when their hours will change from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. beginning November 27. On Saturdays through March, volunteers would open and close the museum, greet visitors, answer basic questions about the museum's exhibits and collection, operate the museum's documentary film, and make bookstore sales.

French would like to conduct a group training in early December, so anyone wishing to get involved is encouraged to get in touch. French can be reached by email (blmuseum@itstriangle.com) or by phone (406-357-2590).

Starting on November 29, the BCM's winter hours on Monday through Friday will be from noon until 5:00 p.m. "We're hoping these new hours will encourage people to drop in over their lunch break for a visit," French stated.

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 03/24/2024 05:34