The Children's Museum

We drove to Knoxville Tuesday and after settling in at Aunt S's for a bit, we drove to Harriman to visit with GF.  At dinner, we made plans to pick him up and drive to Oak Ridge to the Children's Museum there the next day. 

 The museum was a wonder!  It was back behind a residential area, not in a downtown location as I would have suspected.  I kept thinking it was odd to be traveling into neighborhoods and before I knew it, we were there!

 The museum is in an old school, and is chockablock full of wonder. 

 There are many sections throughout, but my favorite, by far was the section on Appalachian history. 

Ellie loved this station as she could push the buttons and hear music.  Each button played a different stringed instrument that was playing Blue Grass music.  I'm a HUGE blue grass fan from way back and apparently, Ellie likes it too.  Aw, heck, Ellie loves MOST music. :o)

There was a station for trying on clothes from the late 1800's and Lil was game.  She has on petticoats although you can't see them. :o)

I loved this little guy as he so looked like a "little man", something my GG used to make for me as loveys. 

It seemed as if they had moved an entire cabin in the school.  I loved the soft touches juxtaposed with the coarseness of it.  You lived how you lived and softened it however you could. 

East Tennessee (as well as SW Virginia and other locales) was home to many such dwellings.

There were some taxidermy animals about and Ellie took a chance on petting the bobcat. ;o)

Anyone else sit in desks like this in school?

Beanie the beekeeper.

It was apparent the building had once been a school as you walked down hallways and into classrooms.  I think this room must have been a library as it was quite large.  They had set up a display comparing rural life to urban life.

Holy smokes what a fancy stove!

In another room the girls "churned" butter.

There were birds and nests.

A mock one room school house and more.

On the second level was tons and tons of info on Oak Ridge and WWII and I wished to explore it, but with Bean along, it simply wasn't possible.  Instead, we found a few more fun rooms to explore.  This one had a timeline of toys on the right and this fun "doll house" on the left.

The girls LOVED it!

We checked out a presentation on raptors (the birds not the planes) from a local raptor rescue group and then visited the train room. 

By this point, I was simply beat.  I think the girls could have kept going, but I was done. ;o)

We took GF to lunch and then headed to the Roane County Park splash pad.

To be continued....

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I'm off to do timing at the swim meet.  :o)  Gotta dash!