The Monmouth Museum

A few weeks ago as our cabin fever was hitting an all-time high, we decided to venture out to somewhere we had never been. After hearing some good things about the Monmouth Museum, we wanted to check it out for ourselves.

Located on the campus of Brookdale Community College, the Monmouth Museum is a small museum that offers exhibits in art, science, nature, and cultural history. The exhibits are ever-changing, making the museum a dynamic place to visit frequently. The Monmouth Museum consists of the Main Gallery and the Nilson Gallery. The Main Gallery houses the science and nature exhibits. The Nilson Gallery houses the art and cultural history pieces and exhibits.

During our visit, we spent our time in the Main Gallery, which although small, offers plenty of exhibits for children. The current exhibits focus on weather, weather patterns and weather phenomena. Children can crawl through a wind tunnel, walk through a thunder and lightening storm, and "slide" into a tornado shelter. There is also a planetarium-type show about weather. We opted out of the show as we were told by museum personnel that it is not recommended for children under 7 due to loud noises and concepts that would not be easily understood by younger audiences.

The museum boasts the Dorothy V. Morehouse WonderWing. The WonderWing is an educational space offering a permanent exhibition on the sea and the creatures that make it their home. Children can explore a pirate ship, perform in a Tiki theater, climb a tree house and inside a lighthouse, slide through a whale, play in a kelp forest and listen to a real waterfall. The WonderWing is designed for early childhood education with elements that are attractive and age appropriate, and draw young visitors to experiment, imagine, explore and discover.

I apologize in advance for the quality of the photos. I forgot my DSLR and had to use my BlackBerry to take pictures. The clarity leaves much to be desired.

There was a cloud wall where you are able to walk in the clouds.

Only the bravest of pirates dare to cross this bridge!

Re-arrange the aquarium with magnetic fish.

Don't plan to spend an entire day at the museum. Because of its smaller scale, it's perfect for a morning or an afternoon outing, and it's great for younger children whose attention spans wane after an hour or so. The upside to the museum is that its cost is relatively low, making it a great choice for a family outing. The cost per person is $7, and children under 2 are admitted free.

For hours and additional information, visit the Monmouth Museum's Web site.