Archived News Releases
Geek Festival 2.0 Features Wii™ Competition
Play Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock. Play lots of it as you sharpen your skills for the big competition. You need to be one of the first 48 people to register in person to play in the Wii competition. Is dancing more your style? Test your ability in Dance Dance Revolution Extreme™. The Guitar Hero III winner goes home with a Wii and Guitar Hero III. The DDR winner goes home with an Xbox 360 and Rock Band. Play vintage games including Ms. Pac-Man™ and chess. Solve a Rubik’s Cube®. It’s all at Geek Festival 2.0 or — as you’d see in a text message — G33K FSTVL 2.0 at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturday, March 1, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 25 KB)
Aphrodite Night
Settle back and relax. Have a soothing shoulder massage. Get your hair styled. Let an expert manicure your nails. Ask for beauty tips as you have your makeup done. Snack on light spa fair and chocolate dips as you listen to relaxing jazz. It’s all at Aphrodite Night at the Science Museum of Virginia Thursday, Feb. 28, 6-10 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 12 KB)
15th Great Egg Drop Contest & Engineering Career Day
Can you drop an egg 25 feet without breaking it? That’s the challenge for middle and high school students from Virginia schools. Their mission is to create an egg container that is light, but strong enough to prevent a medium-side egg from cracking. If you’re thinking that bubble wrap is the answer, think again. It’s not allowed as an entry in The Great Egg Drop Contest. It’s all part of Engineering Career Day at the Science Museum of Virginia, Sunday, Feb. 24, noon-5 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 14 KB)
Lunar Eclipse Sky Watch
Watch for the moon to change color on Wednesday, Feb. 20. As long as the sky is clear, you should see the moon turn a reddish shade. That’s what the moon looks like during a total eclipse. Get a closer look at the eclipse when members of the Richmond Astronomical Society share their telescopes at a special Lunar Eclipse Sky Watch at the Science Museum of Virginia, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 8-11 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 12 KB)
Science Saturdays for February
Solve a crime. Pet a Madagascar hissing cockroach. Analyze your own fingerprint. Discover if cans of regular soda and diet soda sink or float. It’s all at Science Saturdays in February at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturdays, Feb. 2-23, noon-4 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 66KB)
Mysteries of Plasma: The Charles Drew Story
A Black History Month Carpenter Science Theatre Company Play
Canada comes as a surprise to medical student Charles Drew. Canada is color blind. Drew is used to segregation in the United States. All his life, he has been defined by the color of his skin. But here at McGill University in Montreal he is welcomed everywhere. Here he is not denied access to a restaurant or swimming pool based on his African-American heritage. Canada also is where he meets Dr. John Beattie — a doctor who sparks Drew’s interest in blood research. Drew goes on to transform the medical world. He discovers how blood plasma can be stored and organizes the first blood bank. Because plasma can be given to a person with any blood type, it is perfect for blood transfusions. Relive Drew’s life as he battles to make a segregated country understand that the only differences with human blood have to do with blood type — not race. It’s all in the Carpenter Science Theatre Company Black History Month play Mysteries of Plasma: The Charles Drew Story at the Science Museum of Virginia’s Eureka! Theater Saturday, Feb. 2-Friday, Feb. 29. Performances are Saturday-Sunday at 3 p.m. and Wednesday-Friday at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 59KB)
Lunch Break Science for January and February
Find out about green building. Hear about the environmental and cultural changes of Greece. Learn how to be a beekeeper. It's all Lunch Break Science at the Science Museum of Virginia on Wednesdays, January 9-February 27, noon-1 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 21 KB)
New Science Museum of Virginia Director Is Chosen
The Science Museum of Virginia Board of Trustees has selected Richard Conti to become the next Science Museum director. Conti is currently executive director at Nauticus in Norfolk. Full News Release
Life of a Star Featured at LiveSky
Explore winter stars to discover how stars age. See hot, very young stars in a giant stellar nursery in the Great Orion Nebula. At the other end of the star story is elderly Betelgeuse. It's all in the interactive planetarium show LiveSky at the Science Museum of Virginia on Friday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 19 KB)
Science Saturdays for January
Mold a shark tooth. Paint a picture that sparkles. Make a compass that floats. It's all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturdays, Jan. 5-Jan. 26, noon-4 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 28 KB)
Explore Mars in LiveSky
Why are scientists interested in Mars? What have Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity discovered about the Red Planet? What may the future hold for human exploration on Mars? Find out at the Science Museum of Virginia's interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. Full News Release
New Energy Virginia Exhibit Opens
Race the wind. Jump on a stationary bike to see if you can generate as much electricity as the wind does turning a windmill. Check out a small house that's different from yours. Instead of consuming electricity, it gives energy back to the power grid. It's all at the new permanent exhibit New Energy Virginia at the Science Museum of Virginia. The new exhibit opens Saturday, November 17. Full News Release
See a Mystery in the Sky - Comet Holmes - at a CometWatch
Join astronomers as they watch Comet Holmes - a comet whose brightness has increased roughly one million times in the past five days. Why has it gotten so bright and how long will you be able to see it? That's the mystery. Observe it yourself at a special CometWatch at the Science Museum of Virginia Friday, Nov. 2, 7-8 p.m. Full News Release
Winter Skating and New Displays Join Joy From The World
Bundle up the family in skating clothes for a new take on a very Richmond holiday experience - Joy From The World. Bring your skates or rent a pair and head to the Winter Skating Pavilion. Gaze up at the 28-foot tall grand tree presiding over the rotunda. Take a trip around the world as you check out cultural exhibits. Examine festive displays in Holiday Windows. Immerse yourself in a live presentation of Twas the Night Before Christmas. Keep an eye out for science-related trees as you explore the entire museum. Meet the loneliest snowman in the giant screen film Santa vs. the Snowman. Jump start the season with a Joy From The World Premiere Party. It's all at the 21st Joy From The World at the Science Museum of Virginia, Monday, Nov. 19-Tuesday, Jan. 1. Full News Release
Find out about the First Day of Winter
Winter begins Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007 at 1:08 a.m. "The first day of winter is the day of the winter solstice," says Science Museum Astronomer David Hagan. "It is the shortest day and longest night of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. After the winter solstice, the days get longer until the summer solstice. Then the cycle reverses itself and daylight hours decrease again." Find out more about the first day of winter at the Science Museum of Virginia's interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, Dec. 21, at 6 p.m. Full News Release
Medicine, Media and Morality:
Does the Media Impact Your Health Care Decisions and Treatment?
Medical news stories and advertisements about new drugs are on TV, the Internet, radio and in newspapers. How should you consider this information when making health care decisions for yourself and your loved ones? How do you know which treatments may be in your best interests? Find out what local experts have to say about the relationship between biotechnology corporations and the media, directed marketing campaigns to doctors and consumers and lobbying efforts directed at government agencies and lawmakers. It's all in Medicine, Media and Morality: Does the Media Impact Your Health Care Decisions and Treatment? at the Science Museum of Virginia, Thursday, Oct. 25, 7-8:30 p.m. Full News Release
Survival: Environment and Human Interaction
What is green urbanism? What is the connection between people and the environment? What are environmental ethics? Find out at the Funsten Science Lecture Series Survival: Environment and Human Interaction at the Science Museum of Virginia, Wednesdays, Oct. 17-Nov. 14, 7-8:30 p.m. Full News Release
Search Begins For Virginia's Outstanding Scientist and Virginia's Outstanding Industrialist
The Science Museum of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia are conducting their annual statewide search for Virginia's Outstanding Scientist and Virginia's Outstanding Industrialist of 2008. Full News Release
Science Museum of Virginia Seeks Cultural Groups
Do you have a holiday tradition you love to share? Are you a member of a cultural group that decorates distinctively for the holidays? Do you know a group that makes unusual holiday-related crafts or special food? How about a musical group, chorus or dance troupe? The Science Museum is looking for cultural groups to join in the museum's annual Joy From The World festivities. Full News Release
New Foucault Pendulum coming to the Science Museum of Virginia
It's gone. Your favorite 10-story pendulum that knocks down pins and makes school children cheer is gone. Now when you enter the Science Museum of Virginia there is no swinging brass ball to greet you. There is no map on a base with pins circling it and tiny model of the Science Museum's Broad Street Station home in the center. What to do? Not to worry. A new Foucault - pronounced foo-coh - pendulum exhibit is in the works. You should be able to see the new base by the end of the summer. Full News Release
How to Use a Telescope Class
Frustrated because the stars are calling your name, but your brand-new telescope is still in its case? Confused about what your telescope can and can't do? Find out how to get the most from your telescope when Science Museum of Virginia Astronomy Educator Bob Oldham presents How to Use a Telescope at the Science Museum on Saturday, Jan. 5, 8 a.m. - noon. Full News Release (PDF 28 KB)
Science Saturdays for December
Lift a 50-pound sandbag with one hand. Make a paper snowflake. Create a small boat - then load it up with tiny bears to see how many it can hold without sinking. It's all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturdays, Dec. 1-29, noon-4 p.m. Full News Release
Lunch Break Science for November and December
Discover the science of protective clothing. Find out the connection between family history and cancer prevention. Check out the science of diving. It's all at Lunch Break Science at the Science Museum of Virginia on Wednesdays, November 7-December 19, noon-1 p.m. Full News Release
Joy From The World Premiere Party
Celebrate the holiday season with a grand tree illumination. Add festive music and dance performances. Meet characters from Richmond Ballet’s "The Nutcracker." Check out skating demonstrations. Make holiday crafts. Sample food from around the world. Explore different cultural traditions that happen during the season of the winter solstice. It's all at the Joy From The World Premiere Party at the Science Museum of Virginia Monday, November 19, 5-8 p.m. Full News Release
Santa vs. the Snowman
Meet the loneliest snowman. At night he plays an ice flute to serenade the stars - that is until the night he sees a flash of light speed across the sky and land behind the frozen horizon. Join him as he journeys to Santa's Village and sees why Santa is loved by all. It seems that Santa has the perfect life - a wonderful home, plenty of friends and toys. Hmmmmm... maybe the snowman can take Santa's place and get all that attention. See how the snowman's jealousy turns into a polar battle fought with giant igloo robot walkers, hot chocolate squirt guns, ice pick torpedoes and a giant nutcracker. How do Santa and the snowman resolve their conflict? Find out in the giant screen film Santa vs. the Snowman in the Science Museum of Virginia's Ethyl IMAX® DOME, Monday, November 19-Tuesday, January 1.
Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs
Turn back time thousands of years to ancient Egypt and its mysterious mummies. Add thieves and hidden treasure. Throw in black market antiquities in the 1800s and modern-day scientists on a quest that could improve human life. It's all in the giant screen film Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs featured in the Science Museum of Virginia Ethyl IMAX® DOME Theater Saturday, September 22 - Friday, January 18. Full News Release and press images available.
30th Annual RF&P Model Railroad Show
Explore miniature cities, towns, villages and rural areas in scales to match the trains that travel through them. Your journey takes you to a rural New England vacation spot, a tiny, classic traveling circus and Hawaii. Along the way look for a Richmond-inspired train. It's all at the 30th Annual RF&P Model Railroad Show at the Science Museum of Virginia, Friday, Nov. 23-Sunday, Nov. 25, Friday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Full News Release
How to Buy a Telescope Class
Interested in purchasing a telescope, but not sure where to begin? There are thousands of options available, and deciding on just one can be a difficult task. Get an expert’s opinion at How to Buy a Telescope at the Science Museum of Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 3, 9-11 a.m. Full News Release
The Kugel Ball Gala
Put on your dancing shoes and ball gown or tuxedo for an evening of music, entertainment and gourmet food. "We are excited to present our second Kugel Ball gala," says Science Museum of Virginia Foundation Director Julia Carr. "This year our theme is Dancing Under the Stars." The Kugel Ball is at the Science Museum of Virginia on Friday, Oct. 5, 6:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Full News Release
Find out about the First Day of Fall
Fall begins Sunday, Sept. 23, 5:51 a.m. Eastern time. The first day of fall is the autumnal equinox. On the day of the autumnal equinox there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Nights become longer and days shorten in the Northern Hemisphere as winter approaches. Find out more about the first day of fall at the Science Museum of Virginias interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. Full News Release
Mini-Medical School
Medication: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Are you one of the millions of people who take prescription drugs? Do you know the potential benefits and risks of those medications? Virginia Commonwealth University experts share the latest information when Mini-Medical School focuses on Medication: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly at the Science Museum of Virginia, Wednesday evenings, Sept. 5-Oct. 3. Full News Release
Science Saturdays for November
Aim a Medieval siege machine loaded with a water balloon. Can you hit the target? See a can crushed by air. Make and fly a helicopter bunny. Explore and ride a piece of history. It’s all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturdays, Nov. 3-Nov. 24, noon-4 p.m. Full News Release
Science Saturdays for October
Pet a guinea pig. Dig for fossils. See a penny shatter before your very eyes. Make a straw squawker. It’s all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturdays, Oct. 6-Oct. 27, noon-4 p.m. Full News Release
Lunch Break Science for September and October
Discover what makes a mummy a mummy. Delve into the connection between computer technology and music. Follow chocolate's journey as it leaves the cocoa tree. It's all at Lunch Break Science at the Science Museum of Virginia on Wednesdays, September 5-October 31, noon-1 p.m. Full News Release
Dinosaurs Alive
See ancient dinosaurs come to life. Join a search for evidence of these creatures who lived millions of years ago. Your journey stretches from the Gobi Desert in Mongolia to sandstone buttes in New Mexico. Your guides are paleontologists from the American Museum of Natural History. It's all in the giant screen film Dinosaurs Alive at the Science Museum of Virginia's Ethyl IMAX® DOME Theater Friday, March 30,-Thursday, July 12.
- Full news release (PDF 56 KB)
- Contact sheet (PDF 606 KB) of available press images
Swingin' on the Tracks Concert Series
Dance into fall. It's time for the eighth annual Swingin' on the Tracks - a four-week series of music and dance on Thursday evenings in September. Kick off the series on Sept. 6 with Richmond-based world beat group Fighting Gravity. The Copper Sails opens. On Sept. 13 critically acclaimed Tea Leaf Green jams their classic yet distinct style of rock.Richmond's popular Poston Brown Project opens. The Seldom Scene presents an urban approach to bluegrass on Sept. 20. The Whiskey Rebellion opens with a mix of string band music and outlandish humor. The concert series wraps up Sept. 27 with Virginia Coalition, recently named the best band in Washington D.C. by the Washington Post. The acoustic duo Watson and Calhoun opens. Swingin' on the Tracks is at the Science Museum of Virginia Thursdays Sept. 6-27. Performances are 6-10 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. You must be 21 or older to attend. Full News Release
Experience the Magic in IMAX® at the
Science Museum of Virginia's
Ethyl IMAX® DOME
Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix:
The IMAX Experience®
Prepare your charms, spells and grab your wand! On Wednesday, July 11, at the Science Museum of Virginia's Ethyl IMAX® DOME, moviegoers will be spellbound when they join the ranks of Dumbledore's Army and see the highly anticipated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in IMAX®. Digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (digital re-mastering) technology, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The IMAX Experience will debut concurrently with the nationwide 35mm release from Warner Bros. Pictures on July 11th. Full News Release (PDF 91KB)
Live Outside the Bottle:
The Story of Alcoholism in America
How common is alcoholism? What constitutes alcohol dependence? Is it considered a disease? Can it be cured? Find out at the visiting exhibition Live Outside the Bottle: The Story of Alcoholism in America at the Science Museum of Virginia, Monday, Sept. 24,-Monday, Oct. 1. Full News Release
It's a Wrap Party
See a re-creation of a famous Egyptian temple known as Abu Simbel. Unravel ancient secrets about Egypt's mummies. Discover how early Egyptians used the sky to order their daily lives. Meet an expert in Egyptian burial practices. Dance along with the Ululating Mummies. Make your own mummy. Write in hieroglyphics. It's all at the Science Museum of Virginia's in It's a Wrap Party on opening day of the giant screen film Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs - Saturday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Full News Release
Science Saturdays for September
Make a mummy. Write in hieroglyphs. Walk on the moon. Create a musical instrument. See the world in a different way. It's all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturdays September 1-29, noon-4 p.m. Full News Release
Lunar Eclipses
Get a preview of an upcoming total lunar eclipse. The real eclipse is Tuesday, August 28. The preview is at the Science Museum of Virginia's interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, August 17, at 6 pm. Full News Release
Science Saturdays for August 2007
Three... two... one... blastoff. Watch your water rocket fly. Decorate roach magnets. Calculate your body mass index. Catch a ride on a historic streetcar. It's all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturdays August 4-25, noon-4 pm. Full News Release
The Spirit of 1608
The year is 1608. John Smith and his crew of 14 men set off in a small boat to explore the Chesapeake Bay. Fast forward to 2003. Hurricane Isabel blows through Virginia, knocking down plenty of trees. These two - apparently unrelated - events come together in the Reedville Fishermen's Museum's project to recreate the historic boat. The Spirit of 1608 is made from trees felled by Isabel. See The Spirit of 1608 at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturday, July 28 - Sunday, August 5, 2007. Full News Release
Watch an Ancient Hero Light up the Summer Night Sky
Look up at the night sky as nature presents its own version of fireworks. The Perseid meteor shower returns in August with as many as 60 meteors per hour. Astronomers expect the show to peak Sunday, August 12 -- the same night as a new moon. Best viewing time is after midnight. "Find a dark, open sky away from the bright lights of the city and suburbs," says Science Museum of Virginia Astronomer David Hagan. "Give your eyes about 15 minutes to adjust to the dark. You won't need a telescope." Find out more at the Science Museum's interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, July 20, at 6 p.m. Full News Release
Lunch Break Science for July and August
Explore underwater habitats with robots. Discover a house that relies on solar energy. Find out how infrared thermography may save your life. It's all at Lunch Break Science at the Science Museum of Virginia on Wednesdays, July 11-August 29, noon-1 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 55 KB)
Savage Ancient Seas
Travel back millions of years to a land where the last of the dinosaurs roam. A shallow sea spreads across the middle of North America. It's eat — or be eaten. Gigantic flesh-eating fish big enough to swallow a human being whole live in this dangerous ocean. There are huge carnivorous marine reptiles with double-hinged jaws and the biggest sea turtles that ever lived. Overhead are flying reptiles with three-foot skulls. While dinosaurs ruled the land, these creatures ruled the sea. Welcome to the Savage Ancient Seas. This visiting exhibition is at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturday, 26 May 2007 - Monday, 03 Sep 2007.
- Full News Release (PDF 15 KB)
- Contact sheet (PDF 591 KB) of available press images
Science Saturdays for July 2007
Have a hair-raising experience. Dress up as your favorite Harry Potter character. Attend a potions class. Meet a Vietnamese blue snake. Create and sail a sailboat. It's all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturdays July 7-28, noon-4 p.m. Full News Release (PDF 64 KB)
Summer Science Explorers and Extreme Science
Invent a ball game and the ball that goes with it. Create a model of Earth's interior using candy, marshmallow and chocolate. Investigate the science of photography. Make ice cream. Discover how a desk-top computer works. It's all at the Science Museum of Virginia's Science Explorers summer camp programs in July and August. 'Full News Release (PDF 57 KB)
All the Ice Cream You Can Eat
Celebrate summer with a huge party. Get wet in a water maze. Fly down a water slide. Find out about brain freeze. Test your aim with a medieval siege machine. Learn how to ride a Segway® Human Transporter. Cheer on your favorite rat basketball player. See Kung Fu demonstrations from the Shaolin Dragon School. Peruse massive skeletons of the creatures who ruled the ocean while dinosaurs roamed the land. And eat ice cream -- plenty of ice cream. It's all at the Science Museum of Virginia's Scooper Bowl XV on Saturday, 23 June 2007, 10:00am - 4:00pm. Full News Release (PDF 69 KB)
Science Saturdays for June 2007
Aim a medieval siege machine loaded with a water balloon and let it fly. Eat ice cream like your Gramma never made. Pick up a broom for a race you don’t see every day. Build a flower. Sit in on a rat basketball training session. It’s all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia on Saturdays, 02 - 30 June 2007, 12:00pm - 4:00pm. Full News Release (PDF 61 KB)
Find Out About the First Day of Summer
The first official day of summer is Thursday, June 21, at 2:06 p.m. "The first day of summer is the summer solstice. There are more minutes of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day than any other. After the summer solstice the days shorten until the winter solstice. The cycle then reverses itself and daylight hours increase again," says the Science Museum Astronomy Director Ken Wilson. Find out more about the first day of summer at the Science Museum of Virginia’s interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, 15 June 2007 at 6:00pm. Full News Release (PDF 49 KB)
Giant Planets
They’re the biggest planets in our solar system. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have rings and a thick, deep atmosphere. Robotic probes have revolutionized understanding of these enormous worlds. Explore the Giant Planets at the Science Museum of Virginia’s interactive planetarium show LiveSky, Friday, 18 May 2007 at 6:00pm. Full News Release (PDF 50 KB)
Students Ride Roller Coasters to Study Science
When is a day at a theme park more than just a day in the park? Students are heading to Kings Dominion on Friday, May 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., to find out. That’s when the Science Museum of Virginia and Kings Dominion turn the theme park into a giant laboratory for Math & Science Day. Students explore the science behind the rides while riding such notorious scream machines as the TOMB RAIDER: FIREFALL™; Volcano, The Blast Coaster™; Ricochet™; Triple Spin™; Anaconda, Grizzly and the Rebel Yell. At the end of the day students might be exhausted from the excitement, but they’re also wiser about how things work. Full News Release (PDF 52 KB)
Teachers Gather at the Science Museum of Virginia to Learn About Hydrogen
RICHMOND – Teachers and Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling will get the chance to race a hydrogen model racecar and test drive GM’s HydroGen3 fuel cell vehicle between 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on April 20, 2007 at the Science Museum of Virginia. Full News Release (PDF 103 KB)
Science Saturdays for May 2007
Pet a Madagascar hissing cockroach. Make a rainbow. Twist and bend a metal wire that can return to its original shape. See a DNA strand being extracted from an onion. It’s all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia on Saturdays, 05 - 26 May 2007, 12:00pm - 4:00pm. Full News Release (PDF 58 KB)
Lunch Break Science
Discover the connection between the brain and submarines. Find about Virginia and earthquakes. Explore the Chesapeake as it looked when John Smith first saw it. Spark your child’s interest in physics and chemistry. Examine George Washington’s final days. It’s all at Lunch Break Science at the Science Museum of Virginia on Wednesdays, 02 May - 27 Jrun 2007, 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Full News Release (PDF 63 KB)
Area Students Join Sun Powered Race
Ready? Set? Go. Virginia middle school students are in a race with a twist. Competing teams use solar power to send their cars down a 20-meter track to the finish line. The students also compete in a design competition. Whose car is the best designed? Which car goes the fastest? Find out at the Junior Solar Sprint on Saturday, 05 May 2007. Team registration begins at 10 a.m. The race starts at 11:45am. Full News Release (PDF 56 KB)
Earth Science For Earth Day
Watch amateur paleontologist Katharine Snavely clean an ancient dinosaur bone. Volunteer to help out and she'll show you how it’s done. Taste a mineral sample. Its flavor can help you to identifying it. Drop a rock in water. If it floats, you know it is pumice. It’s all about Earth at Earth Science For Earth Day at the Science Museum of Virginia, Sunday, April 22, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Full News Release
Return to the Moon
“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” That’s what Neil Armstrong said when he first stepped on the moon. Now NASA anticipates a return trip to the moon — possibly building a moon base. Why return to the moon? How can the moon help in future explorations? Does the moon hold answers to the mysteries of the solar system? Find out at the Science Museum of Virginia’s interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, April 20, at 6 p.m. Full news release (PDF 50 KB)
Stargazing 101
When you look up at the stars, can you spot the Big Dipper? Are you able to tell the difference between a star and a planet? Find out how at Stargazing 101 at the Science Museum of Virginia Tuesdays, April 24-May 22, 7-9 p.m. Full news release (PDF 51 KB)
A Day With the Stars
Get an up-close and personal look at the sun — without injuring your eyes. Build a rocket and watch it blast off. Walk from the sun to the moon. Find out how much you would weigh on the moon. It’s all at the Science Museum of Virginia’s National Astronomy Day celebration Saturday, April 21, 1-4 p.m. Bring your digital camera to a special Sky Watch that same evening 8-10 p.m. Full news release (PDF 61 KB)
Science Games
Ready. Aim. Fire. Load a ball covered with rubber filaments into a giant slingshot and let it fly. Run a relay race with a twist. Fly a paper airplane you have designed. How long it can stay in the air? Find out at the Science Museum of Virginia's Science Games on Saturday, 14 Apr 2007, 11:00am - 3:00pm. Full news release
Science Saturdays for April
Launch a rocket. Make a fossil mold. Ride a historic streetcar. Discover why a diet soda can floats on water, while its regular soda counterpart sinks. It’s at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia on Saturdays, April 7-28, noon-4 p.m. Full news release (PDF 66 KB)
Science Saturdays for March
RICHMOND - Walk on the moon. Design your own boat. Solve a crime. Discover how many drops of water you can put on a penny. It? all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturdays, March 3-31, noon-4 p.m. Full news release (PDF 62 KB)
Spring Featured at LiveSky
RICHMOND - This year spring officially begins on Tuesday, March 20, at 8:07pm Eastern Daylight Time. The first day of spring is known as the vernal equinox because day and night are equal in length. Preview the spring stars and constellations at the Science Museum of Virginia? interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, March 16, at 6 p.m. Full news release (PDF 55 KB)
Lunar Eclipse Sky Watch
RICHMOND - When the moon rises on Saturday, March 3, it won?t look like its normal self. It will be a dark reddish color. That? because the moon will be in a total eclipse when it rises over Virginia that evening. Get a closer look at the eclipse when members of the Richmond Astronomical Society share their telescopes at a special Lunar Sky Watch at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturday, March 3, 6-8 p.m. Full news release (PDF 57 KB)
Lunch Break Science
RICHMOND - Discover what biology and architecture have in common. Explore the Inka Trail. Search for planets outside Earth? solar system. Find out what it takes to conserve a historic warship. It? all at Lunch Break Science at the Science Museum of Virginia on Wednesdays, March 7-April 25, noon-1 p.m. Full press release (PDF 59 KB)
14th Great Egg Drop Contest & Careers in Engineering Day
RICHMOND — Can you drop an egg 20 feet without breaking it? That’s the challenge for middle and high school students from Virginia schools. Their mission is to create an egg container that is light, but strong enough to prevent a medium-size egg from cracking. If you’re thinking that bubble wrap is the answer, think again. It’s not allowed as an entry in The Great Egg Drop Contest. It’s all part of Careers in Engineering Day at the Science Museum of Virginia, Sunday, 25 Feb 2007, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Full news release (PDF 56 KB)
Live! At Broad Street Station
RICHMOND — Listen to chamber music. Make a drum to take home. Hear modern tunes. Discover ethnic music. Tap your toe to jazz sounds. Turn back the clock as you enjoy music from hundreds of years ago. Become a club DJ as you create new sounds and star in a music video in the visiting exhibition Amazing Music Studio. It’s all at the Science Museum of Virginia’s Live! At Broad Street Station Saturday, Feb. 10-Sunday, May 20. Full news release (PDF 68 KB)
Follow the Drinking Gourd
RICHMOND — In the years before the Civil War, many slaves seeking freedom looked to the sky for guidance. On their dangerous nighttime journey, men, women and children followed the stars they called the Drinking Gourd. Most of us refer to those same stars as the Big Dipper. Listen to Roger McGuinn’s recording of the traditional song “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” The song’s words contain hidden directions to an escape route along the Underground Railroad. It’s all in Follow the Drinking Gourd, a Black History Month LiveSky program, at the Science Museum of Virginia on Friday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. Full news release (PDF 52 KB)
Governor Kaine Announces 2007 Outstanding Scientists and Industrialist
RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine and Science Museum of Virginia Director Dr. Walter R. T. Witschey today announced the state’s Outstanding Scientists and Industrialist of 2007. The honorees will be introduced to the General Assembly later in the current session and will receive their awards at a banquet at the Science Museum on Thursday, April 19. Full news release (PDF 104KB)
Coral Reef Adventure
RICHMOND — Meet hundreds of grey reef sharks in canyons off Rangiroa atoll. Explore deep ocean corals off Fiji. Discover underwater seascapes of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Join ocean explorers Howard and Michele Hall as they share their favorite reefs — and their concerns about the health of these deep-sea regions. It’s all in the giant screen film Coral Reef Adventure at the Science Museum of Virginia, Friday, Feb. 2-Thursday, July 12. Full news release
Science Museum of Virginia Director
Dr. Walter R.T. Witschey Announces His Retirement
RICHMOND — Science Museum of Virginia Director Dr. Walter R.T. Witschey is retiring at the end of this fiscal year. His effective retirement date is Saturday, June 30, 2007. "I appreciate so much the opportunity to have contributed to the life of the Science Museum of Virginia, its mission and its development over the past 15 years," says Witschey. "The opportunity to serve the people of Virginia through the science education mission of the Science Museum has been one of the
most rewarding phases of my life." Full news release 
19KB PDF
Mini-Medical School Focuses on
Every Breath You Take
RICHMOND — Breathing is easy to take for granted when you don’t have any problems. But what if you are one of the millions of Americans with chronic lung disease? Virginia Commonwealth University experts share the latest information on Every Breath You Take at Mini-Medical School at the Science Museum of Virginia, Wednesdays, Feb. 7 - March 14, 7-9 p.m. Full press release
Senator Frank Wagner to live in Virginia Tech Solar House at the Science Museum of Virginia
RICHMOND, VA, Jan. 22, 2007 – Beginning at 5 pm on Wed., Jan.24, Senator Frank W. Wagner (R., VA 7) will have a new temporary address—Virginia Tech Solar House, Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad Street, Richmond. Senator Wagner, long a proponent of alternate energy sources, will be testing the viability of solar living for himself by living for a week in the award-winning Virginia Tech Solar House. Built by students and faculty in Virginia Tech’s Colleges of Architecture and Urban Studies, and Engineering for the 2005 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, the Virginia Tech Solar House will be toured by the General Assembly on the 24th and on public exhibition beginning mid-February. Museum visitors can check http://www.smv.org for a schedule. Full news release
Science Saturdays for February
RICHMOND — Ride a Segway® Human Transporter. Race a bowling ball and a playground ball. Discover how a cabbage can tell you about chemicals in your kitchen. Learn about endangered species. It’s all at Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturdays, Feb. 3-24, noon-4 pm Full news release
Mysteries of Plasma:
The Charles Drew Story
A Black History Month Carpenter Science Theatre Company Play
RICHMOND — Canada comes as a surprise to medical student Charles Drew. Canada is color blind. Drew is used to segregation in the United States. All his life, he has been defined by the color of his skin. But here at McGill University in Montreal he is welcomed everywhere. Here he is not denied access to a restaurant or swimming pool based on his African-American heritage. Canada also is where he meets Dr. John Beattie — a doctor who sparks Drew’s interest in blood research. Drew goes on to transform the medical world. He discovers how blood plasma can be stored and organizes the first blood bank. Because plasma can be given to a person with any blood type, it is perfect for blood transfusions. Relive Drew’s life as he battles to make a segregated country understand that the only differences with human blood have to do with blood type — not race. It’s all in the Carpenter Science Theatre Company Black History Month play Mysteries of Plasma: The Charles Drew Story at the Science Museum of Virginia’s Eureka! Theater Saturday, Feb. 3-Sunday, March 4. Performances are Saturday-Sunday at 3 pm and Wednesday-Friday at 11 am There are no performances of the play on Saturday, Feb. 10, and Sunday, Feb. 11. Full news release (PDF 56KB)
Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey
RICHMOND — Parade down the streets of Brazil with Timbalada drummers during the world-famous Carnival. Listen as a Japanese Kodo drummer performs a rigorous routine he has trained for years to perfect. Catch the sights and sounds of a parade celebrating Hindu deities in India. See how Native Americans in the United States pass history and traditions from generation to generation. Discover how rhythm and movement link different cultures, locations and music groups together. It’s all in the giant screen film Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey at the Science Museum of Virginia’s Ethyl IMAX® DOME Theater & Planetarium Saturday, Jan, 27-Sunday, May 6. Full news release
Amazing Music Studio
RICHMOND — Sing in the shower — don’t worry, you won’t get wet. Become a club DJ as you create new sounds. Star in a music video. Create your own sound and light disco. Dance on a giant piano. Play an invisible harp. It’s all at the visiting exhibition Amazing Music Studio at the Science Museum of Virginia Saturday, Jan. 27,-Sunday, May 6. Full press release
John Smith Shallop Replica
RICHMOND — It’s June 2, 1608. You and 14 other Englishmen board a small open boat to explore the Chesapeake Bay. Your mission is fourfold — locate an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean, find precious minerals, gather information about the region’s inhabitants and create a map to help the Virginia Company of London consolidate English claims to the region. Along the way you encounter sickness, Native Americans — some friendly, some not — and an ecosystem filled with fish, grass beds and oyster bars so large they pose navigational hazards. Your boat — known as a shallop or barge — is between 25 and 35 feet long. In it you sail and row 1,700 miles over three months. Examine a replica of the small boat when the John Smith Shallop — also known as Discovery Barge — is displayed at the Science Museum of Virginia Thursday, Jan 11-Monday, March 28 . Full news release
Lunch Break Science
Richmond — Get the scoop on how to protect the James River. Find out how a Segway Human Transporter works. Discuss the state of the Chesapeake Bay. Discover how medicine is changing. It’s all at Lunch Break Science at the Science Museum of Virginia on Wednesdays, Jan. 3-Feb. 28, noon-1 pm Full news release (PDF 54 KB)
Happy Feet: The IMAX Experience
to Open on Friday, Nov. 17
The highly-anticipated comedy adventure comes to the giant IMAX screen in time for the holiday season.
RICHMOND – Moviegoers will want to tap their way to the Science Museum of Virginia’s Ethyl IMAX®DOME when Happy Feet opens on Friday, Nov. 17. Digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (digital re-mastering) technology, Happy Feet: The IMAX Experience will debut concurrently with the nationwide 35mm release from Warner
Bros. Pictures. Full news release 85KB PDF
Saturn: The Ringed Giant
RICHMOND — Earth is approaching the ringed planet Saturn. On Saturday, Feb. 10, Saturn is the closest it gets to our planet this year. Find out more about this ringed giant and see it live through a telescope. It’s all at the Science Museum’s interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, Jan. 19, at 6 pm Full news release
Funsten Lectures Feature Jamestown-era Science
RICHMOND — Life in Jamestown in the 1600s was vastly different from what it is today. What can science tell you about America’s first permanent English colony? How have James River oyster populations changed over the years? How were early settlers able to navigate? Find out at the Funsten Science Lecture Series Jamestown-era Science at the Science Museum of Virginia, Wednesdays, Jan. 10, 17 and Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7-8:30 pm Full news release
Geminid Meteor Shower May be Visible from Virginia
RICHMOND — As many as 120 meteors falling per hour are expected to be visible over Virginia if the sky is clear at the height of the Geminid meteor shower. ”Weather permitting, this year’s Geminid meteor shower should be a good one,” says Science Museum of Virginia Astronomer Ken Wilson. “Some years the glare of the full moon spoils your ability to see the Geminids. This year, however, the moon will be a waning crescent so the interference should be minor.” The Geminids peak on Friday, Dec. 15, at 6 am Eastern Time. Full news release
Night Shuttle Launch May be Visible from Virginia
RICHMOND — When NASA launches the next space shuttle, there’s a good chance you may be able to see it without a telescope. “It’s a little known fact that night launches of the space shuttle can be seen with the naked eye from as far north as Virginia,” says Science Museum of Virginia Astronomy Director Ken Wilson. “I have seen several night launches from the Richmond area. This is because the bright light coming from the rocket engines during launch can be seen over a great distance at night and the fact that launches to the international space station require a high inclination orbit that takes the shuttle on a northeast course after launch.” Currently the shuttle is scheduled to launch Saturday, Dec. 9, at 8:47 pm Eastern time. Full news release
29th RF&P Model Railroad Show
RICHMOND — Explore miniature cities, towns, villages and rural areas in scales to match the trains that travel through them. Your journey takes you to tiny areas of Richmond, rural New England, western Virginia mountainsides, a little wild-west show and Hawaii. Look for an N-scale version of Richmond’s Broad Street Station — now home of the Science Museum of Virginia. Keep an eye out for an estate-scale train. It’s all at the 29th Annual RF&P Model Railroad
Show at the Science Museum of Virginia, Friday, Nov. 24-Sunday, Nov. 26. The show is open Friday-Saturday, 9:30 am-7 pm and Sunday, 11:30 am-5 pm Full news release 73KB
Joy From The World
RICHMOND — Gather up the family for a very Richmond holiday experience — Joy From The World. Bring your camera for a family portrait with the Holiday Express. Visit an indoor Winter Wonderland complete with falling snow. A giant decorated tree in the 10-story rotunda may take you back to the days when Broad Street Station was a train station decked out in holiday splendor. Take a trip around the world as you explore various celebrations that occur near the solstice.
It’s all at the 20th Joy From The World at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturday, Nov. 18-Monday, Jan. 1. Full news release 82KB
PDF
Asteroids Featured at LiveSky
RICHMOND — When could a large asteroid next hit Earth? How much damage could it do? Could it change life as you know it? Could a hit be prevented? Find out what astronomers think about asteroids at the Science Museum of Virginia’s interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, November 17, at 6:15 pm Full news release 54KB
PDF
Transit of Mercury
RICHMOND ― For the first time since 2003, Mercury passes between the sunand Earth. Mercury’s trip across the sun is visible from Virginia from 2:12 pm until thesun sets at 5:04 pm See this rare occurrence through telescopes with safe solar filtersat the Transit of Mercury at the Science Museum of Virginia’s special Sky Watch on Wednesday, November 8, 2-5:15 pm Full
news release 57KB PDF
National Chemistry Week: Your Home is Built on Chemistry
RICHMOND — Build a bird house. Create and decorate a 1-D house. Make a super elasticity ball. Craft a chromatography butterfly. Formulate your own paint. Test the strength of spaghetti. Discover how to make a color-changing potion. It’s all at National Chemistry Week: Your Home is Built on Chemistry at the Science Museum of Virginia Thursday, Oct. 26-Saturday, Oct. 28, 10 am-4 pm Full
news release 52KB PDF
LiveSky Focuses on the Transit of Mercury
RICHMOND — It only happens 13 times a century and 2006 is one of those times. It’s called a transit of Mercury. That’s when Mercury passes between the sun and Earth. Find out more at the Science Museum of Virginia’s interactive planetarium show LiveSky on Friday, Oct. 20, at 6 pm Full news release 48KB
PDF
Animal Grossology
RICHMOND — Sometimes they’re gassy. Sometimes they’re yucky. And sometimes they do the most disgusting things. Animals can be cute and cuddly and the best company. But let’s face it. They can produce some of the most revolting things — usually on the living room carpet when company is visiting. Explore the good, the bad and the downright ugly about how animal bodies work in the visiting exhibition Animal Grossology at the Science Museum of Virginia, Saturday,
Sept. 30-Monday, Jan. 1. Full news release 66KB PDF
Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France
RICHMOND — Team up with Australian cyclist Baden Cooke and French cyclist Jimmy Casper as they tackle the grueling, world-renowned Tour de France. Ride with them through narrow, twisting turns and high-speed descents. The elite cyclists are in for a dangerous, stressful and painful three weeks as they race over the Alps, through Provence and into Paris. It’s all in the giant screen film Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France showing in the Science Museum of Virginia’s
Ethyl IMAX®DOME, Friday, Sept. 22-Monday, Jan. 1. Full news release 61KB PDF
Frankenstein Lives!
A Carpenter Science Theatre Company Play
RICHMOND — "I was born during a thunderstorm. And so was the story that made me famous — 'Frankenstein.'" Meet 18-year-old Mary Shelley. Enter her world of literature and fantasy. Share her fascination with the newest scientific and medical breakthroughs of her day. It’s the early nineteenth century. Scientists are discovering the power of electricity. They believe it might hold the secret of life itself. It’s all in the Carpenter Science Theatre Company play Frankenstein
Lives! at the Science Museum of Virginia Wednesday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 29. Wednesday-Friday performances are at 11 am Saturday and Sunday performances are at 3 pm Full news release 60KB PDF
Mini-School of Marine Science
Focuses on Global Warming in Chesapeake Bay
RICHMOND — How can global change impact the Chesapeake Bay? What could increased temperatures mean to the bay’s ecosystems? How much could sea level rise over the next 70 years and what would that mean to the bay’s shoreline? What can you do to help revitalize the Chesapeake? Explore the issues when the Science Museum of Virginia, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chesapeake Bay office present Mini-School
of Marine Science at the Science Museum on Wednesdays, Oct. 11-Nov. 1, 7-9 pm Full news release 62KB PDF
Search Begins For Virginia’s Outstanding Scientist and Virginia’s Outstanding Industrialist
RICHMOND — The Science Museum of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia are conducting their annual statewide search for Virginia’s Outstanding Scientist and Virginia’s Outstanding Industrialist of 2007. Full news release 68KB
PDF