Kingman Museum
Encyclopedia
Kingman Museum is a natural history museum
and planetarium
located at 175 Limit Street, on the grounds of Leila Arboretum
, in Battle Creek, Michigan
, USA. Its mission is to promote an understanding and appreciation of the natural world, the universe, and human cultures.
The Museum's collections include several thousand artifacts, many of which are displayed in permanent and temporary exhibitions. The vast majority of the collection, however, is in storage. In 2007 the Museum received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
to physically inventory and catalog every item in its collection. This massive project is scheduled for completion in August 2009.
Some of the Museum's highlights include its paleontology
and geology
specimens, animal taxidermy
mounts, a preserved human embryo
and fetus
exhibit, and Native American
artifacts.
The Museum also has numerous rare items in its collection, including two specimens of the likely-to-be extinct Imperial Woodpecker
(Campephilus imperialis). Only 120 museum specimens of the bird are known to exist in the world. Since there are no known photographs or recordings of a living Imperial Woodpecker these specimens are the only records ornithologists have to study and understand the species.
In 2008 Kingman Museum added a Digistar 3
fulldome
projector system to its planetarium. It is one of only 61 installations worldwide and the only one in southwest Michigan.
Kingman is a member museum of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
(ASTC) and participates in the membership passport program.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
located at 175 Limit Street, on the grounds of Leila Arboretum
Leila Arboretum
The Leila Arboretum 72 acres is an arboretum and garden located at 928 West Michigan Avenue, Battle Creek, Michigan. It is open to the public....
, in Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, USA. Its mission is to promote an understanding and appreciation of the natural world, the universe, and human cultures.
The Museum's collections include several thousand artifacts, many of which are displayed in permanent and temporary exhibitions. The vast majority of the collection, however, is in storage. In 2007 the Museum received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for libraries and museums within the United States, having the mission to "create strong libraries and museums that connect...
to physically inventory and catalog every item in its collection. This massive project is scheduled for completion in August 2009.
Some of the Museum's highlights include its paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
and geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
specimens, animal taxidermy
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
mounts, a preserved human embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
and fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
exhibit, and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
artifacts.
The Museum also has numerous rare items in its collection, including two specimens of the likely-to-be extinct Imperial Woodpecker
Imperial Woodpecker
The Imperial Woodpecker is – or was – a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. If it is not extinct, it is the world's largest woodpecker species at 56-60 cm long...
(Campephilus imperialis). Only 120 museum specimens of the bird are known to exist in the world. Since there are no known photographs or recordings of a living Imperial Woodpecker these specimens are the only records ornithologists have to study and understand the species.
In 2008 Kingman Museum added a Digistar 3
Digistar 3
Digistar 3 is a dome-based projection technology created by Evans & Sutherland - to offer audiences immersive entertainment and education experiences that integrate fulldome video, real time 3D computer graphics, and a digital planetarium facility...
fulldome
Fulldome
Fulldome refers to immersive dome-based video projection environments. The dome, horizontal or tilted, is filled with real-time or pre-rendered computer animations, live capture images, or composited environments....
projector system to its planetarium. It is one of only 61 installations worldwide and the only one in southwest Michigan.
Kingman is a member museum of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Association of Science-Technology Centers
The Association of Science-Technology Centers is an international organization of science centers and science museums. Members are located in more than 40 countries...
(ASTC) and participates in the membership passport program.