Science Museum of Western Virginia

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Founded:

1970

Information

Website:	http://www.SMWV.org
Company Overview:	Located at Center in the Square in the heart of Downtown Roanoke, VA. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 1-5pm. 540/342.5710
Mission:	To make science and technology accessible to all people by being an outstanding regional institution that ignites and nurtures life-long learning.
Products:	The Science Museum of Western Virginia offers visitors what TV, the Internet and other popular media cannot: the opportunity to touch, explore, interact, engage the senses, and experience personal aha! moments of discovery. The oldest science museum in Virginia, we are an independent, not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization with hands-on science exhibits, star shows in Hopkins Planetarium and big screen films in the MegaDome Theatre. We also offer classes,summer camps and outreach classes in school classrooms. The Museum offers a Free Friday afternoon on the second Friday of each month and is among the fewer than 5% of museums in the U.S. nationally accredited by the American Association of Museums.

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June 27

Science Museum of Western Virginia wrote a note.

5:57am

Science Museum Launch Pad gift shop now open!

The Science Museum of Western Virginia announces the opening of the Launch Pad, its new gift shop and activity center located on the first floor of Center in the Square. The Launch Pad features toys, science kits, and gifts for imaginative science play, and many items are priced under $5.

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Patsy wrote at 7:39pm on July 20th, 2008

Thanks for a great museum! My grandchildren enjoyed the visit and learned a lot! Special thanks to Rebekah and Justin!

Science Museum of Western Virginia wrote at 10:19am on June 6th, 2008

Hey there Christina--
I work at the Science Museum as the Curator of Collections and Museum Educator. It sounds like you've done your research--most "meteorites" turn out to be slag--but you never know. I would recommend you contact a friend who is the Curator of Earth Sciences at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, VA--276-666-8600--Dr. Jim Beard--jbeard2@vmnh.net. Take your specimen in during the week for an official ID--you may have to leave it--just fill out paperwork and make sure you tell them that you want it back.

Good luck and come visit our Science Museum!
--Courtney Plaster

Christina wrote at 9:25am on June 2nd, 2008

I'm leaning toward it not being a meteorite also, but I'll hold on to it until I can contact someone at Tech to have it tested. It's really so small and not likely worth much, even if it were a meteorite, so I hate to bother anyone over it. Thank you guys for taking the time to read the blog for me. We are members at the museum and will likely be there a lot over the summer.

Science Museum of Western Virginia wrote at 8:06am on June 2nd, 2008

Christina--
Mark Hodges, our exhibits and planetarium manager read your blog, but doesn't think it's likely to be a meteorite. He says it’s very hard to identify one just by looking at it, but if it hit your house after entering the atmosphere, it probably would have punched a hole through the roof. Also it would not have rusted that quickly. He says the only real way to tell if it is a meteorite or not is to have it tested, and suggests that someone at Virginia Tech might be able to test it for you.

Thanks for asking!

Christina wrote at 5:35am on May 29th, 2008

Is there anyone at the science museum who can identify meteorites and meteorwrongs? I found something suspicious... which might just be iron slag. I blogged about it. (pic included)
http://cozytailmom.blogspot.com/

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