|
|
| Visitor Info | Exhibitions | Theatre | Planetarium | Education | Store | Membership | Foundation | About Us |
Groundwater Discovery Adventure
The Groundwater Discovery Adventure, an interactive multimedia center, is designed to teach families about the Ogallala aquifer and the importance of groundwater to the development of the central plains in an engaging hands-on environment. Location: Main Level |
|
Contact Us | Site Index |
|
We all remember the number of times our mothers told us not to dig in the ground or not to play in the water, well in the Groundwater Discovery Adventure, we actually encourage kids of all ages to do just that. Hopefully, while families are having fun and being entertained, they will leave the museum knowing a little more about the Ogallala aquifer and will have a greater appreciation for this precious resource - groundwater.
A floor to ceiling mural featuring a prairie landscape covers all of the walls and the entrance to the center. A product called Tnemec® covers the floor of the center giving visitors the sense of standing on soil. There are two paleontology dig areas at the entrance of the center where fossils and teeth are buried in a rubberized dirt and can be excavated with shovels and brushes. There are also additional fossils embedded in a wall near the dig site. Behind the paleo dig is the water works area featuring a simulated spring bubbling out of the Ogallala aquifer which flows through a raised stream half-way out into the room. Real running water flows through the stream and there is a walking bridge that transverses the stream so that visitors can stand on both sides of it to conduct water activities. Visitors will be able to dam the water at six points in the stream and can lift gates to irrigate a crop area and divert the stream to flood a mini town. 
The rest of the components in the center include a replica of a Native American tipi furnished with hides and Indian artifacts for role playing. A hand-hewn log cabin, which was donated by the Village of Kenesaw, was also rebuilt in the center. It was disassembled for the move to the museum, treated for pests and then brought into the center. The 9-by-14-foot cabin was built in 1857 by John Adams, founder of the Village of Adams in Gage County. It was moved in the 1900's to Kenesaw by the Edward Ziebarth family. In the 1980's the cabin was donated to the Village of Kenesaw where it stood in the city park for many years. A hay mattress, cook stove, wash tubs, clothing and other pioneer artifacts can be used for role playing in the cabin.