Virtual visitors can enjoy four interactive field trips featuring dinosaurs, Egyptian artifacts, wildlife, and regional natural wonders
Plus, activities led by guest experts, Live Animal Encounters, and birthday parties
Carnegie Museum of Natural History announces the launch of a growing library of virtual experiences, including four virtual field trips, available to educators and individuals around the world. Experiences are available now, with more products slated in the months ahead, to meet the growing demand for high-quality, educational online programming.
The virtual field trip of the world premiere exhibition Dinosaur Armor, released in fall of 2020, is already well-received by teachers and students alike. “The field trip today was awesome! The kids enjoyed it, were engaged, and had fun,” said Jane Camp, Supervisor of Student Events at PA Cyber, “I know they knew a lot, but they also learned a lot. The content was thorough and well-presented, and I loved that it looked like we were right there in the museum with you next to the exhibits. It was one of the best virtual programs I have seen so far.”
“Our goal was to offer digital counterparts to our most popular onsite experiences,” said Laurie Giarratani, Director of Education and Lifelong Learning. “I’m so impressed with the ingenuity displayed by our educators and their creative solutions for bringing these personal, onsite programs to life virtually. I’d like to thank our earliest participants for taking the time to give us feedback. Listening to input from teachers, parents and kids helped us create the best experiences possible. We are truly bringing the museum to your computer, tablet, or phone.”
In addition to Dinosaur Armor, groups can take virtual tours of the museum’s Halls of Wildlife and Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt, or join expert naturalists at Powdermill Nature Reserve, the museum’s environmental research center. Groups can book via the museum’s Virtual Field Trips webpage, and individuals interested in joining a group can find upcoming dates in the museum’s event listings.
Hour-long virtual group programs feature Guest Experts who lead groups in themed activities tailored to the needs of each group that books a program. All Guest Expert programs are based on broad themes including Dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt, and Animal Tales.
The museum’s virtual experiences library also includes birthday parties and weekly Live Animal Encounters. Birthday parties, designed for ages 7–12 but adaptable to any interested age, guide party attendees through the work lives of real paleontologists and Egyptologists with activities and party favors. They are available to book online now.
Virtual Live Animal Encounters launched last summer as a way to enjoy the museum’s popular Live Animal Encounters from home. They take place every Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. featuring a rotating cast of critters from the museum’s Living Collection, including Quilliam Penn the African pygmy hedgehog, Gouda and Pepper Jack the skunks, and Mango the sun conure.
