Visit the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville

#Review #ExploreGeorgia

If you are anywhere near Cartersville, Georgia, stop by and visit the Tellus Science Museum.

The Tellus Science Museum is a Smithsonian Institution-affiliate natural history and science museum. It features a mineral gallery, a fossil gallery, a transportation gallery, and a children’s gallery. Plus, it also has a 120-seat digital planetarium and an observatory with a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope.

My son and I explored this fantastic museum on a recent school field trip. And we had a blast!

The Weinman Mineral Gallery

My favorite gallery was the Weinman Mineral Gallery. I’m not sure when I have ever seen so many beautiful rocks. The Tellus mineral collection now numbers close to 10,000 specimens. More than 50 cases feature a variety of gems, gold, and some of Georgia’s most-prized minerals.

My favorite exhibit was a 7-foot high copper boulder. How many pennies can you make from that?

The Fossil Gallery

If you like fossils, you’ll love all of the fossils and minerals on display in the Fossil Gallery. Most everything is behind glass cases, but there are replicas and molds that you can touch with interactive “trivia-type” displays.

Did I mention there are dinosaur bones?

There’s a skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, the jaw of a Megaladon shark, and other reptiles and giant extinct mammals. My son’s favorite feature was the Georgia underwater exhibit featuring giant fish and reptiles native to our state.

Science in Motion Gallary

Explore over 100 years of changes in transportation technology in the Science in Motion Gallary. A special section of the gallery focuses on automobile manufacturing. Vintage vehicles like the 1896 Ford Quadricycle and the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagon display the progress of the automobile industry.

A select portion of the gallery features space travel. There’s even an actual moon rock on display.

The Collins Family My Big Backyard

Little ones will love exploring this gallery. They can conduct hands-on experiments with light, sound, magnets, and more. This gallery is the perfect place for future scientists to discover their world. With magnet games, sorting activities, raceways, and more, exploring science will be a fun, engaging opportunity even for these little ones.

All activities in the gallery will inspire, challenge, and educate children of all ages.

Fossil Dig & Gem Mining

Additional activities include gem panning and a visit to the Fossil Dig. The Vulcan Materials Company Gem Panning features a working water wheel and plenty of gems for children to find and take home.

The walk-in dig holds plenty of shark teeth, snail shells and other fossils for kids to unearth and keep as a souvenir. These activities are free with the cost of admission.

What to Know if You Go

The museum rotates special exhibits throughout the year. Expect to spend two to three hours seeing everything, not including a planetarium show or a tour of the Solar House. There is a small cafe where you can purchase a wide variety of meals, snacks, and drinks. There’s also an outdoor covered pavilion across the parking lot if you bring a picnic lunch.

Location: 1207 Emery Hwy, Macon, GA 31217

Admission: Adults $15.95; Children 3-17 $11.95

Special Events: National Astronomy Day (May), RockFest (June), and Spooky Science Night (October)

Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM daily, except Christmas and New Year’s Day.

website | (770) 606-5700