The Word is Out about the McWane Science Center, Part II

By Dana Crisson, Educator

In my previous blog, I wrote about the fact that the McWane Science Center is popping up in internet articles written by visitors from around the world. A number of “mommy” blogs have also been singing the praises of the McWane Science Center. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal stated that these mommy blogs are “usually written with an emotion and personality which connect with readers in ways that other niches often can’t. Moms are the ones who are trusted for their opinions and who pass along information on what products, services and ideas are the best. Moms want to know which products work and which don’t; they want to give an opinion on what’s worked for them and share their experiences with other.” I completely agree; I read several mommy blogs regularly, and as a mother of two, I really appreciate their reviews.

Birminghammom and Geekdad both gave McWane glowing reviews for summer fun, and their advice can be extended into the fall and winter months, too. From birminghammom.com: “The hunt is on for the best summer in Birmingham can offer, and McWane Science Center has to be on your list. You have no doubt visited the halls of McWane Science Center or attended a party there. But let me bring you in on a little secret: McWane is one of the best values for summer activities, hands down. Besides the regular favorites like the bed of nails or the giant piano keys, there are rotating exhibits of all sorts to keep things interesting. If you're a city girl with no intention of wading in a creek or riverbed, take the kids to the lower level's Cahaba River Tank so you know you've at least introduced them to aquatic life. Let them touch a horseshoe crab while you keep your distance.”

On the technology news website www.wired.com, contributor Doug Cornelius wrote about McWane in a post on the GeekDad blog titled “100 Geeky Places to Take Your Kids this Summer.” He said, in part: “Boredom may already be settling in around the house. So what are some fun, geeky places to take your geeklets? Even better, what are some fun, geeky places that kids AND adults will all enjoy? Try the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama. It features four floors of interactive exhibits, celebrating science and wonder - from an amazing collection of dinosaurs to innovative environmental showcases, imaginative early childhood playgrounds, and an awe-inspiring aquarium.”

Birminghammom gave our new Smart Café a thumbs-up: “You don't have to leave the building for snacks or lunch. Pizza Hut and Subway are here but there are also deliberately healthy choices like smoothies. Burgers are broiled and fries are prepared with a hot air fryer which doesn't use oils or grease to produce equally crispy results. Yum!” The gift shop also got a positive mention when she added that “the gift shop isn't full of the usual allowance-scamming souvenirs” but offers science-related toys and games at all price points.

In this blog, posted in September, another Birmingham mom not only wrote about how much fun her son had in our museum but also acknowledged the accommodating staff in our Smart Café. Here are some of her comments:

“Last Saturday we decided to take Miller to the McWane Science Center for the day. WOW is all I have to say. We arrived the around 11:15 and we were concerned about what we were going to feed Miller, considering he would be getting hungry soon. Little did we know that the McWane Science Center has a lunch room for all of their visitors…and they are big on nutrition there. While we were in line to order, one of the workers overheard us trying to decide what to get Miller because of his food allergies. She said, it is our job here to get him what he needs to eat, and we try our hardest to provide for those that have food allergies. So we ordered him something and we did not have to pay full price considering it was not a full meal. It was very nice (because) it is very hard to find places that will help you out on food. After we ate we bought our tickets and headed in to the museum. It was amazing all the different things that Miller could do…he could do everything and it was really fun. After going to ALL four floors, we headed back home around 4:30 and Miller fell asleep on the way home. We had a great time and can't wait to go back.”

Contributor Profile:
Dana Crisson is a Recruitment Specialist in the Education Department at McWane. She brought her two daughters to visit the science center regularly, and although her oldest child is in college and the youngest is preparing to go away to college next fall, they continue to visit as often as possible. And her entire family loves eating in the Smart Café.