Family Days


NOTE: Family Day events are currently being held virtually.

 
Hands-on science, culture, history, and art!Family Day Logo

Family Days allow the whole family to connect with the museum! Enjoy hands-on activities, including crafts, games, and experiments. Meet curators and other experts. See and touch museum specimens. Explore the galleries.

Family Days are designed to engage the whole family in exploring, investigating, and having fun. All ages are welcome! Guests 14 and under are FREE on Family Days, and parking is always free on weekends!

TOTE Maritime logo.Museum Family Days are proudly presented by TOTE Maritime. THANK YOU!

 

Virtual Family Days

 

Close-up of a compass sitting on top of a world map.

Exploration
Illustration of the Sun and planets in the Solar System.

Solar System
Earth rising over the surface of the Moon.

Amazing Earth
A lake surrounded by a snow-covered landscape, with mountains in the background.

Water


We welcome your feedback! Please share your pictures, videos, comments, or thoughts with us via email: ua-museumlearn@alaska.edu or on the museum's Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!

Image Credits: 
Exploration: PDPics on Pixabay.
Solar System: NASA/JPL.
Amazing Earth: NASA/Bill Anders.
Water: Elizabeth Arnold on Unsplash.

 

 

Past Family Days

Visitors around a table in the Gallery of Alaska, making animal puppets.

 

Fossils (February 2020): Kids and adults met paleo artist Ray Troll, explored fossils in the Cruisin' the Fossil Coastline special exhibit, decorated Ice Age animal puppets, excavated bones, and created paleo art.

 

The Curator of Mammals shows walrus bones to two children.

 

Walrus (January 2020): Visitors met walrus researchers, saw specimens from the collections, experimented with blubber gloves, explored the importance of walrus in Alaska cultures, and made walrus masks.

 

A young child sits at a table, decorating construction paper with star-shaped sequins.

 

Stars (November 2019): Guests experimented with hands-on astronomy demonstrations, explored how different cultures view the night sky, made solar viewers, and created glow-in-the-dark artwork.

 

Children stand around a table making animal masks.

 

Animals in Art (September 2019): Visitors explored how animals inspire artists! They saw art from the collections, created animal masks, sketched scientific specimens, and made fish prints.

 

Two children examine soil samples.

 

Soil (April 2019): Visitors met soil scientists and archaeologists, explored the properties of permafrost, looked at soil under microscopes, created artwork with soil paint, and planted seeds.

 

An adult and child sitting at a table playing a game.

 

Ravens (March 2019): This Family Day focused on ravens in culture, art, and science. Guests met a raven researcher, read and wrote raven stories, created raven artwork, and competed in the Raven Olympics.

 

Lea Gardine shows hands-on demonstrations to visitors.

 

Earthquakes (February 2019): Kids and adults explored the science of earthquakes with researchers from the Alaska Earthquake Center, learned how to prepare emergency kits, and created earthquake-inspired art.

 

Geologist Jaenell Manchester helps a young visitor pan for gold in a plastic bin.

 

Gold (November 2018): Visitors met geologists, investigated the importance of gold in Alaska history, saw objects from the Ethnology & History collection, created gold-themed artwork, and tried panning for faux gold.

 

A volunteer explains an activity to children at Berries Family Day.

 

Berries (September 2018): Guests met berry experts, learned about the Winterberry Citizen Science project, created berry field guides, decorated berry recipe books, and explored the role of berries in Alaska cultures. 

 

Yup'ik storyteller Marty Hintz helps children play a drum

 

Stories (April 2018): Visitors listened to a Yup’ik storyteller, discovered stories of the past with archaeologists, recorded interviews with the ScienceTapes project, made storybooks, and used storyknives to tell their own stories.

 

Two children pose in butterfly costumes.

 

Butterflies (March 2018): Kids and adults met butterfly experts, explored the Kenelm Philip collection, investigated the life cycle of butterflies, made butterfly art, and tried on butterfly costumes. 

 

Two children put their hands in a tub of cold water to test the effects of blubber.

 

Whales (February 2018): At this Family Day, visitors could meet whale researchers and examine specimens, explore Arctic food webs, create scrimshaw art, and learn about the importance of whales in Alaska cultures. 

 

A child uncovers fossils in a tub full of sand.

 

Dinos & Fossils (November 2017): Guests saw and touched real fossils, met museum paleontologists, explored Ice Age mammals, dug for fossils, made fossil timelines, and created dinosaur art.

 


An adult and child examine a bear skull.


Bears (September 2017): This Family Day featured exploration of bears in art, science, and culture. Visitors saw polar bear art, went on a Bear Story Quest, investigated bear specimens, and learned about bear safety.

 

 

 

Family Days have been a tradition at the museum since 2010!

For more stories and pictures from Family Days and other events, visit UAMN's Tumblr page.