Extended Hours for Fall Break Fun!

Posted on November 18, 2022November 19, 2022 by Laura Valdez in Any Age, Archive & Collections, Discovery For All, Earth Matters, Museum Store, Schedules and Hours Of Operation

FCMoD is open EXTRA days during Fall Break this year, and we can’t wait! If you’re looking for things to do in Fort Collins, plan your visit to FCMoD and enjoy fun for everyone! We’re open every day during the week of Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Thursday, November 24th.

Here are some tips for your upcoming visit:

Earth Matters Special Exhibition – Build an insect hotel! Ride a bike to power a city! These are just a few ways that Earth Matters inspires visitors to rethink the world around them. Immerse yourself in thought-provoking scientific topics about our changing planet such as biodiversity, rising global temperatures, and issues around carbon emissions. Explore this STEM-based, family-friendly exhibit now through Sunday, January 8th. Don’t forget, members receive free admission to the exhibit!

Pop-Up Floor Programming – Join us in the main gallery for programs that rock as hard as you do! From Foley art to the science of sound, there’s something for everyone! Programs are included in general admission and free for members. Check out the schedule in our museum calendar!

Meet the Animals – On Saturday, November 26th, join us in Animal Encounters and discover some amazing creatures we share this planet with. Animals of all kinds from creepy crawlies, wet and slimy, to soft and furry. Don’t miss an opportunity to make a new animal friend! Free for members and included in general admission ticket.

OtterBox Digital Dome – A visit to the museum isn’t complete without a visit to the Dome! Featuring a gigantic 39-foot diameter dome screen, adventurers of all ages will be wowed by the Dome’s state-of-the-art digital projection systems and booming surround sound.

Now showing in the Dome: CAPCOM GO! The Apollo Story, Dream to Fly, Explore, Prince 360, One World, One Sky: Big Birds’ Adventure, Let it Snow! (starting 11/25)

Special Spanish-language shows: Un Cielo, Un Mundo. La Aventura de Big Bird y CAPCOM Go: La Historia del Programa Apolo

Check out the schedule here!

Archive and Collections (Free Zone) – Dive into local history by visiting FCMoD’s robust Archive and Collections! Free and open to the public, visitors can either take advantage of walk-in hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10-1, or schedule an appointment Tuesday – Friday, from 10-4. Can’t make it in? Check out the online archive here, which grows daily!

The Museum Store (Free Zone) – Shop small this holiday season! All purchases at The Museum Store support FCMoD’s mission to create meaningful opportunities to learn, reflect, and have fun. From jewelry crafted by local artists, to books for children and adults, to toys and other curiosities, there is something for everyone at The Museum Store!

The Museum Café (Free Zone) – From pastries and coffee to jump start your day, to a variety of casual lunch bites, The Museum Café is here to fuel your discovery!

Membership – Membership is the best way to experience all that FCMoD has to offer! Not only do you receive free general admission for a year, but you also enjoy exclusive discounts, events invitations, and more! Plus, membership makes the perfect holiday gift. (Check your email on Monday, November 28th for a very special offer!)

Biology Everywhere

Posted on February 16, 2021February 18, 2021 by Kristin Rush in Museum Store

Biology Everywhere

“I’m not good at science.”

“It’s too complicated.”

“I’m not smart enough.”

When Dr. Melanie Peffer encountered these attitudes teaching biology, she wanted to understand what makes the subject so scary. “I think that science is traditionally presented as so dry and abstract, people think that it is,” says Dr. Peffer. “So many students’ experience with biology is just memorizing terms, and if they have trouble doing that, then they think they can’t do it.”

Dr. Peffer’s new book, Biology Everywhere—which she will be virtually signing during a Fort Collins Museum of Discovery Facebook Live on February 19—seeks to reverse that belief. “I was inspired by that attitude of ‘never had a teacher who could teach me’,” says Dr. Peffer. Changing her approach, Dr. Peffer focuses on application rather than tossing terms at her students. Protein Biochemistry, for example, may seem really intimidating, but it’s not when you think about it in terms of cooking bacon. How it changes color, shape and size are all observable biological facts.

Biology intersects with life in so many beautiful ways. One of the most important finds of neuroscience was influenced by art. Nobel Peace Prize winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal love of drawing led to him to sketch neurons, and from those works of art we learned that nerve cells were independent cells that communicate through a network of synapses.

“It was a lot of fun to write the book. I took a lot of my inspiration from my son. Kids can give us a perspective on things that we forget.” Whether that means explaining what an exoskeleton is while walking past the crabs at the supermarket or exploring the anatomy of a honey locust pod at the park, Dr. Peffer is always excited to find biology in everyday life.

“A lot of people feel like they can’t do science,” says Dr. Peffer, “but I believe everyone can. It’s simply a matter of making it accessible.”

To order a copy of Biology Everywhere, please visit The Museum Store. Make sure to ask a question in the comment box when ordering and Dr. Peffer will answer it live!

To attend to the book signing, please join us on Facebook Live Friday, February 19 at 5:30 p.m.

The Museum Store Gift Guide

Posted on December 15, 2020December 15, 2020 by Kristin Rush in Museum Store

The Museum Store Gift Guide

‘Tis the season for holiday shopping! The Museum Store at FCMoD has something for everyone on your list (including you!) and, to make gifting even easier, we’ve compiled a 2020 Gift Guide.

When you shop small from The Museum Store, your purchases support the museum’s mission to create meaningful opportunities to learn, reflect, and have fun through hands-on and collections-based explorations in science and culture!

For the Music Lover

Whether your taste in music is rock ‘n roll or Rachmaninoff, you might just be surprised what you’ll find rockin’ around The Museum Store.

Featured Products:

Guitar Spoon Set $16
“Let’s Play” Wall Art: $16
Rockin’ Socks: $13

For Your/Our BFFs

As the only museum in the world with black-footed ferrets on-site, The Museum Store is your go-to spot for all things BFF (and for the prairie they call home).

Featured Products:

Plush BFF: $23
“The Prairie That Nature Built” Book: $16.95
BFF Notebook: $15

For the Space Explorer

3, 2, 1… blast off! Who knew shopping on Earth could be so fun?
Help keep curiosity right at your fingers tips (or toes) with a gift from our assortment of space-themed products.

Featured Products:

Moon Plush: $25
Space Morph Mug: $12
“Out of this World” Socks: $9-12

For the Local History Buff

Local history lives here in the Archive & Collections at FCMoD, but you can also take a piece of Fort Collins history home with you, too!

Featured Products:

Historic Photo Prints: $10
Archive Image Postcards: $0.75
Fort Collins History Books: $19.99-$21.99

For the love of NoCo Local Artists

When you shop at The Museum Store, you’re not only supporting the museum, but also supporting the many local artists and businesses that we work with!

Featured Products:

Allie Ogg Print: $30
Copoco’s Local Honey: $4.99-$20.99
Hand-crafted Jewelry: starting at $13

For the Adventurer

Even at home, the wild at heart will roam. Help them adventure with an assortment of wanderlust-inspired products!

Featured Products:

“Be Wild” Journal: $17
Tall Grass Pen: $3
Wooden Bird: $20

For Family History & Storytelling

We may need a bit a space between us and 2020 before we want to revisit the memories from this year, but here at FCMoD we hope to help make telling & preserving your stories even easier.

Featured Products:

Interview books for the whole family: $9.95-$14.95
Once Upon a Time Storytelling Kit: $32

Visit The Museum Store at FCMoD, now open daily from 10:00am – 6:00pm, or shop online.