The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science (formerly known as the Miami Science Museum) is an attraction located in the city of Miami, Florida USA. In addition to interactive science exhibits, the museum also contains the Space-Transit Planetarium, Weintraub Observatory, a Sea Lab, and the Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center. The museum is currently working to transplant the museum from its current location to Park West at Bicentennial Park in Downtown Miami, along with the new Pérez Art Museum Miami. The museum broke ground for the new museum in February 2012 and the grand opening is expected in 2015.
The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is served by the Miami Metrorail at the Vizcaya Station and can be accessed from entrances on US 1 or South Miami Avenue.
History
The Museum first started as "The Junior Museum of Miami" and was a private non-profit organization established in 1949. It was located inside a house on the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 26th Street. The Museum grew so rapidly that in 1952 it relocated to the Miami Women's Club building on North Bayshore Drive. When it arrived at the new location it was renamed "Museum of Science and Natural History".
In 1953, the Guild of the Museum of Science was formed adding the efforts of volunteer assistance to the staff, operation of the Museum Store, as well as tours and outreach programs.
The museum began to outgrow its new home again and a special committee headed by Claire Weintraub recommended that Miami should establish a major independent science museum which could service citizens of all ages. By 1960, the first building of the community's new science museum opened its doors. The facility was located on 3 acres (12,000Â m2) of the historic Vizcaya complex, and was built and furnished rent-free by the County.
Late 1966 saw the construction of a Space Transit Planetarium, which soon became the leading facility of its kind in the world. Its activities now include international television programming (see Star Gazer).
In 1989, the Museum's lease agreement with the county for the Vizcaya site was extended for 99 years.
The yearly operating budget has grown to 2.5 million dollars, and the property currently totaling only 48,000 square feet (4,500Â m2).
In 2001, the Miami-Dade Public Library System was one of six U.S. museum/library systems to win the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. In March 2011, Miamian Phillip Frost donated $35 million to the construction of the new science museum in Downtown Miami, hence the name. Frost's donation to the museum is one of the largest donations to Miami's cultural institutions. The new museum broke ground in early 2012, and is planned to be completed by the end of 2015. Pérez Art Museum Miami is also building a new building in Bicentennial Park, which was completed in 2013.
Exhibits
The museum currently showcases the following exhibits:
- The Sea Lab
- Hurricanes
- Water, Wind, and Weather: Miami in a Changing Climate
- Room for Debate
- Heart Smart
- Moving Things
- Energy Tracker
- Nano
- The Reclamation Project/Native Flags
- The Wildlife Center
- Planetarium
Planetarium
The planetarium was opened on November 4, 1966. It was home to Jack Horkheimer's Star Gazer, the world’s first and only weekly television series on naked-eye astronomy. The projection dome room is 65' in diameter and has seating for over 230. It utilizes a Spitz STP (Space Transit Planetarium) star projector.
Gallery
References
External links
- Museum website
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