^ i just don't see how that's possible with the SC in it's current condition. all the others must be total buckets. or the USA Today nominations are suspect...
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No, it's still languishing. Just because other cities mediocre educational facilities are equally bad or worse doesn't make this great.
The Perot Natural History Museum in Dallas is a great example of a vibrant, thoughtful and engaging environment for all ages, IMO.
The Perot Natural History Museum in Dallas is a great example of a vibrant, thoughtful and engaging environment for all ages, IMO.
Anyone been to the Zoo lately? I believe they've opened some new/revamped exhibits, but I haven't seen any pics.
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The new monkey exhibit is really great. My 3-year old loved it and one of the monkeys was following him around the ramp as he ran - pretty cool setup they built.
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Agreed about the new primate house addition. My kids love it.
Other than that addition, I don't know of much new at the Forest Park zoo. The new Dinoraurus exhibit where the children's zoo used to be is there, but I haven't gone in there yet.
Other than that addition, I don't know of much new at the Forest Park zoo. The new Dinoraurus exhibit where the children's zoo used to be is there, but I haven't gone in there yet.
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^ sealion sound and the new bear enclosures are still pretty fresh as well. the zoo has built a lot of nice stuff recently.
I haven’t been to it but the childrens museum is now some dinosaur exhibit.
I'm going to say another nice thing outloud.: the St. Louis Science Center at Forest Park is a whole lot of "meh". I'd rather see it scrapped to get away from the poor leadership and weird layout. Then rebuild at the Post Office keeping the old building but tearing down the 1950's annex. I know we can't get a U-Boat and a mine, but try to get as close to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry as possible.
Right there with you Dweebe and would add with way too many overpaid poor leadership a decade ago. It was pretty sad 13 years ago when we moved and assumed it has been stuck. Time to rethink, reorganize, start over but can't speak to present conditions but doesn't any better now.dweebe wrote: ↑Mar 07, 2023I'm going to say another nice thing outloud.: the St. Louis Science Center at Forest Park is a whole lot of "meh". I'd rather see it scrapped to get away from the poor leadership and weird layout. Then rebuild at the Post Office keeping the old building but tearing down the 1950's annex. I know we can't get a U-Boat and a mine, but try to get as close to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry as possible.
I think your idea is great and maybe a twist as Twain's Museum of Transportation & Industry considering the regions riverboat history, railroad and then MDBoeing presence in its place but probably a whole lot better locations starting with your suggestion. Who needs a Uboat, go all in a paddle boat(s), in the museum and a working one on the Mississippi or Missouri as you will probably need to have some tradeoffs with county. Heck, make it a working museum with a sponsored steam train excursions leaving Union Station (not sure if the dinner train is still going at it) and a working paddleboat on the river.
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Yikes. The McDonnell planetarium is iconic no way they should abandon it.dredger wrote: ↑Mar 07, 2023Right there with you Dweebe and would add with way too many overpaid poor leadership a decade ago. It was pretty sad 13 years ago when we moved and assumed it has been stuck. Time to rethink, reorganize, start over but can't speak to present conditions but doesn't any better now.dweebe wrote: ↑Mar 07, 2023I'm going to say another nice thing outloud.: the St. Louis Science Center at Forest Park is a whole lot of "meh". I'd rather see it scrapped to get away from the poor leadership and weird layout. Then rebuild at the Post Office keeping the old building but tearing down the 1950's annex. I know we can't get a U-Boat and a mine, but try to get as close to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry as possible.
I think your idea is great and maybe a twist as Twain's Museum of Transportation & Industry considering the regions riverboat history, railroad and then MDBoeing presence in its place but probably a whole lot better locations starting with your suggestion. Who needs a Uboat, go all in a paddle boat(s), in the museum and a working one on the Mississippi or Missouri as you will probably need to have some tradeoffs with county. Heck, make it a working museum with a sponsored steam train excursions leaving Union Station (not sure if the dinner train is still going at it) and a working paddleboat on the river.
Science center is fixable, but it needs a major influx of money (i think most of the leadership issues have been sorted but the damage is done). No question the exhibits are tired and way to often are broken but i would not walk away from what they have there on that basis. It needs investment in exhibits. I think if they can show proper discipline managing their budget they should be allowed a large kicker from ZMD to help catch up on some of their obvious shortcomings.
I also think the layout has a lot of potential. One idea. I have often thought it would be cool to make the sky bridge a permanent exhibit focused on transportation modes (right now its just some half broken speedometers looking at a highway. Suspend various transportation modes like airplane, bus train, boat etc across the highway and accessible from the sky bridge. It would be an awesome way to generate interest in visiting.
I know i am off topic but point is i think fixing what we have is way easier than relocating to downtown and hoping we don't recreate all the same or many new problems.
This week...
Saint Louis Science Center named second best free museum in U.S.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local ... f60a018f0c
Saint Louis Science Center named second best free museum in U.S.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local ... f60a018f0c
StlToday - Science Center called third-best free museum in the U.S.
https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertain ... be4a9.html
https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertain ... be4a9.html
Construction is underway for the Zoo's new Destination Discovery exhibit (former Children's Zoo site).
https://www.constructforstl.org/new-ima ... -zoo-site/
https://www.constructforstl.org/new-ima ... -zoo-site/
$31M building permit issued for next phase of Destination Discovery at the zoo.
https://stlzoo.org/news/destinationdiscovery
https://stlzoo.org/news/destinationdiscovery
Damn. Looks like it's going to be a great addition. Much larger than I had realized.
Lots of pics in the link.
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Lots of pics in the link.
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"Admission costs and other details for Destination Discovery will be available later." So this will be one more pay item, huh? This really disappoints me. I think the zoo has increasingly lost the thread of their mission.
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Agreed. They shouldn’t be charging people who pay into the district
So was the dinosaur thing that came after the children’s zoo and before this. If you are a member you get a bunch of free passes to it.Tim wrote: ↑Dec 22, 2024The children's zoo cost extra too, so it's not really a new fee.
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^Does this completely overlap with the old Children's zoo? It seems much larger. It feels like they are dedicating more and more space to extra fee stuff all the time. But maybe I'm just being crochety. Probably just residual complaints about the north county campus that will be free . . . to county residents. (Mind you, we still contribute to them anyway. And I encourage others to do so as well. I'm just complaining.) I wish them success and I will quit complaining now. Bah. Humbug. 
I’m pretty sure this is the same footprint, really maximizing the layout.symphonicpoet wrote:^Does this completely overlap with the old Children's zoo? It seems much larger. It feels like they are dedicating more and more space to extra fee stuff all the time. But maybe I'm just being crochety. Probably just residual complaints about the north county campus that will be free . . . to county residents. (Mind you, we still contribute to them anyway. And I encourage others to do so as well. I'm just complaining.) I wish them success and I will quit complaining now. Bah. Humbug.
If the footprint is bigger it is taking up areas that weren’t open to the public before anyway. But I’m pretty sure it’s the same footprint.symphonicpoet wrote: ↑Dec 23, 2024^Does this completely overlap with the old Children's zoo? It seems much larger. It feels like they are dedicating more and more space to extra fee stuff all the time. But maybe I'm just being crochety. Probably just residual complaints about the north county campus that will be free . . . to county residents. (Mind you, we still contribute to them anyway. And I encourage others to do so as well. I'm just complaining.) I wish them success and I will quit complaining now. Bah. Humbug.