The Midwest Museum of Natural History
Encyclopedia
In the rural town of Sycamore, Illinois
, The Midwest Museum of Natural History sits and is known as a primary source of natural history. In 1875 the structure was built as the home of the Universalist Church in Sycamore. Later the town of Sycamore bought it and renamed it the Sycamore Convention Center in 1927. It housed a swimming pool in its basement. In February 2004, this 128-year-old building was overhauled once again with a top to bottom 1.2 million dollar renovation. This included the creation of the main exhibit hall, a meeting/activity room, the Discovery Den, classrooms, offices, collection storage, and a new roof and climate controls, to help preserve the museum specimens.
. Normally, the convention center hold activities such as birds of prey and snake traveling exhibits.
Sycamore, Illinois
Sycamore is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. It has a commercial district based and centered on Illinois Route 64. The population was 17,519 at the 2010 census, up from 12,020 at the 2000 census.-Early settlement:...
, The Midwest Museum of Natural History sits and is known as a primary source of natural history. In 1875 the structure was built as the home of the Universalist Church in Sycamore. Later the town of Sycamore bought it and renamed it the Sycamore Convention Center in 1927. It housed a swimming pool in its basement. In February 2004, this 128-year-old building was overhauled once again with a top to bottom 1.2 million dollar renovation. This included the creation of the main exhibit hall, a meeting/activity room, the Discovery Den, classrooms, offices, collection storage, and a new roof and climate controls, to help preserve the museum specimens.
Exhibits
Natural biomes of North America, from the Arctic tundra, to the desert are always on display and recreate an environment of previous North America. This facility has (fake) animals in their habitats. Over fifty North American animals, mammals, reptiles and birds are on display for educational exploration. These include Alaskan Brown Bear, Arctic Fox, Badger, Barbary Sheep, Beaver, Black Bear, Blue Sheep, Bobca, Caribou, Corsican Sheep, Cross Fox, Coyote, Elk,European Red Deer, Gray Fox, Javelina, Lynx, Moose, Mule, Deer, Otter, Pine Martin, Polar Bear, Porcupine, Pronghorn, Puma, Ringtail Cat, Rocky Mountain Goat, Siberian Ibex, Silver Fox, Skunk, Stone Sheep, Turkey, Whitetail Deer, Wolf, and the Wolverine. Also, live insects are on display, including the Rose Trantula.Activities
The Museum has an upstairs, where the majority of the exhibits are, and a basement, which house's a convention room, a play house for children, a fish pond, and a rather large TortoiseTortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
. Normally, the convention center hold activities such as birds of prey and snake traveling exhibits.