Tellus is the name of the Roman goddess of the Earth. It is also the name of the Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum in Cartersville, GA. The Tellus Museum has many of the earth sciences such as gems and minerals, fossils, paleontology and astronomy. The museum is an expansion of what once was the Weinman Mineral Museum that was open for 24 years before it closed around 2007 so that the Tellus Museum could be completed. The new Tellus Museum opened its doors on January 12, 2009.
The Tellus Museum has four main galleries – the Weinman Mineral Gallery, the Fossil Gallery, Science in Motion and the Collins Family My Big Backyard, as well as a 120-seat planetarium and an observatory with a 20-inch telescope. Children love to touch things, and in the Tellus Museum touching is encouraged in many places because Tellus is a hands-on science museum with many pieces in the museum that read “Please Touch.”
The Weinman Mineral Gallery at the Tellus Museum
The Weinman Mineral Gallery at the Tellus Museum is an expansion of what was the old museum and takes rock collecting to a whole new level. The McNitt Family Mining Exhibition features exhibits on mining, mineral uses and Georgia’s mining heritage. The Mayo Mineral Exhibition has more than fifty cases holding varieties of gems, gold, and Georgia’s most unique minerals. See the reactions of gems when they are exposed to black light. Visitors, do not miss your opportunity to pan for gold and other gems at the Vulcan Materials Gem Panning area. Pan for gems like the miners did back in the day, and fill your bags with treasures to take home! (View a slideshow of what visitors may see and touch in the Weinman Mineral Gallery.)
The Fossil Gallery at the Tellus Museum
Stare up at a T-Rex or meet a wooly mammoth in the Fossil Gallery at the Tellus Museum. In here, you will come face-to-face with dinosaurs, large marine reptiles and giant mammals that are exhibited in a timeline spanning billions of years. Most of the fossil exhibits relate to the paleontology of the Southeast using real bone specimens with the exhibited skeletons. Children will want to visit the Fossil Dig to sift through the sand to “discover” fossils and keep their favorite one as a souvenir. (View a slideshow of what visitors may see and touch in the Fossil Gallery.)
Science in Motion at the Tellus Museum
Walk through how transportation has evolved in the Science in Motion gallery at the Tellus Museum. View vehicles such as a replica of the Wright Brothers flyer and a 1948 Bell 47 helicopter. There are also rockets and space capsules for the space enthusiast. (View a slideshow of what visitors may see in the Science in Motion Gallery.)
Collins Family My Big Backyard at the Tellus Museum
Meet an imaginative young inventor named CJ in the Collins Family My Big Backyard at the Tellus Museum. Children can wander and explore CJ’s backyard where they will encounter inventions that will inspire everyone. Children get hands-on experience as they learn about light in the Greenhouse and hear the nature of sound in the Shed. In the Workshop, electricity and magnetism will come alive! The giant walk-in Tree houses a big projection screen to teach children about the weather. For the younger children there is an interactive Science Garden.
The Planetarium at the Tellus Museum
Lay back and take a tour of the night sky in the Planetarium at the Tellus Museum. The sky theaters digital technology will take you through our solar system and beyond.
School Trips to the Tellus Museum
The Tellus Museum is popular for school field trips. If you are in the Northwest Georgia area and would like to take your class on a field trip to the Museum, visit their website at http://www.tellusmuseum.org/education/fieldtrip.htm or call 770-606-5700.
Basic Information for the Tellus Museum
Hours:
Open seven days a week from 10AM to 5PM. Closed all major holidays.
Admission (2009):
Adults, $12 ($15 includes planetarium); children 3 – 17 and students with ID, $8 ($11); active military with ID, free; seniors (65 and older), $10 ($13). Group rates are available; call 770-606-5700. Fossil Dig and Gem Panning is included with admission.
Directions:
Heading North on I-75, exit 293. At the end of the ramp, turn left. Less than a half a mile on the left will be a Holiday Inn. Turn between the Holiday Inn and the Citgo onto Tellus Drive. Tellus Drive terminates in the museum parking lot.
Heading South: I-75 to exit 293. At the end of the ramp, turn right. Less than a half a mile on the left will be a Holiday Inn. Turn between the Holiday Inn and the Citgo onto Tellus Drive. Tellus Drive terminates in the museum parking lot.
Sources:
Tellus Museum
Personal Experience
