Tellus

 

Last week, my mother in law suggested we visit Tellus, a science museum located in the quaint town of Cartersville, Georgia.  When I first caught wind of this idea, my mind started racing with images of pushy crowds, lots of walking with a baby strapped to me via my Baby Bjorn and my three year old overtly proclaiming, "This is BORING!"  Well, I was proved wrong.

First, let me apologize to the Cartersville folks.  I expected some shabby attempt at a science museum simply due to its rural location.  However, Tellus is spectacular, all 120,00 square feet!  It could easily be a major attraction in downtown Atlanta and I have no idea why there has not been more hype around this relatively new museum.  While it is quite large, I didn't have that feeling of being overwhelmed, which I so often do with museums.  I've been known to have a few anxiety attacks when faced with large crowds.

Tellus boasts a variety of interesting exhibits such as a mineral gallery, a fossil gallery, a science in motion gallery and "My Big Backyard" just for the kids! A 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope is also located at Tellus.

Yes, all the exhibits are visually interesting but let me focus on the kiddos.  The highlights for us were:

• The fossil dig, where kids can use paintbrushes to wipe away sand to uncover fossils of all kinds. Buried beneath the sand are shark teeth, snail shells and other fossils.  Kids get to pick one fossil to take home as a free souvenir.
• Gem Panning with a working water wheel and plenty of gems for children to find and take home.
• Collin's Family "My Big Backyard" which is an amazing interactive zone for kids of all ages.  (The adults really have fun too!)  Kids can explore things like weather, light, sound, magnetism, gardening and more! 
• The Planetarium has several different shows but we saw the "kid-friendly" show sponsored by Sesame Street, featuring the lovable Big Bird and Elmo.  They learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star and take an imaginary trip to the Moon. 

Despite the long drive, Tellus delivers.  For those of us who are "scientifically challenged," it provides a  hands-on learning experience and introduces the little ones to complex concepts in a fun atmosphere.  My oldest son is already asking when we can go back to Tellus and secretly, I can't wait to return too!

Your Southern Peach