mckinley museum

we were blessed with extremely beautiful weather during nana's visit.  it was the first time we have gotten to wear shorts!  it might not have been the best day for the museum but that is where we were headed.  i had been wanting to check out the president mckinley museum and library but we hadn't had a chance yet so today was the day.

the first thing when you walk into the exhibits is a robotic dinosaur.  mason liked it and was terrified by it equally.  it helped that the right side has cutouts so that you can see the inner-workings and better explain that it is not real.  let's just say that it isn't a 'creationist' exhibit.  we didn't spend a lot of time reading signs.

most of the museum is focused on ohio so it was actually interesting to get to know more about where we live now.  and there were lots of hands-on exhibits which the kids really loved.

maddux rolling fossil prints on foil sheets.

madelyn later told me that this was her favorite part; there was a diorama in a small window of the large animal skin 'tent' that had a child's voice telling about how they lived when you climbed inside the larger tent.

madelyn taking a multiple choice quiz on power

there is even a little toddler room which had all sorts of educational and fun toys.  we didn't stay too long but maddux really liked it.

once we got to the more historic part of the museum there was a volunteer who told us all about the pendulum clock tower workings behind us and offered to take a group picture.  it was nice of him to offer because i never think to ask.  madelyn was pretty taken with all of the different pendulums we saw at the museum (they had a huge one swinging in the lobby that had something to do with the rotation of the earth helping it to knock down small blocks that were surrounding it in a circle).

i should have taken more pictures because there were some neat things in the 'historic' part including an old town you could walk through.  mason was on a one track mission to find the trains once the volunteer mentioned that there was someone running them today.  and there were a lot of trains.  he was not disappointed.  madelyn said that she wanted to leave because this part of the museum made her 'sad'.  

she did try one more exhibit before we left.  hoover vacuums used to be manufactured in the town we live in and their old factory is right downtown and kept as a historic landmark (there is now a state college using the some of the buildings).  madelyn (and then daddy) were literally picked-up by the suction power of a hoover vacuum.  mason wouldn't even consider trying it.

it was such a beautiful day that we went up the stairs to the monument.  it isn't open during the week until summer so people were mainly there using the stairs for exercise.  the view from the top was nice though. i couldn't decide which picture was cuter.  (madelyn has a my little pony - applejack - clipped to her dress belt loop that she got at lunch.)

we finished up sooner than planned so we went to a park to play and walk some trails.  we did a lot of walking during nana's visit.  yesterday we walked to wendy's and back for lunch (about 3 miles) and then walked to the high school after dinner (almost 2 miles).

they were trying to slide together - it was madelyn's idea.

nana pushed maddux on the swing and tickled him while madelyn and mason checked out some of the larger play equipment.  mason hasn't used a 'baby' swing in more than a year but really, really wanted to today.

there is a large double bench swing (more like a gazebo that swings) and maddux would not sit still until no one was holding him.  he wanted to sit on his own.

madelyn and maddux had fun with the stroller during our walk.  he didn't realize to until almost the end that she was the one pushing him and thought that it was pretty funny to look up and see her.  he is 'hiding' from me (or her) in the picture.

it was a really nice day out.  we are just loving the spring weather!  love.