Museum Exhibits
Twenty-five hundred square feet of indoor exhibit space invite children and their adults to playfully explore a variety of science concepts related to physics, math, geometry and earth science. Through 14 different hands-on exhibits, visitors experiment with gravity, motion, and forces of nature—like wind and water. They build, problem solve and let their imaginations soar as they learn about the connection between cause and effect. And they practice important social skills as they team up with other families to move objects through our giant kid-powered ball machine.
- Clean Green Energy Machines
This new exhibit introduces young children and their families to different kinds of renewable energy and the science behind them. Our hands-on machines help visitors investigate wind, solar, water and kid-power, creating connections between the choices we make and our environment. Clean Green Energy Machines encourages us all to work together to make a difference—a timely topic that is guaranteed to generate a lot of energy!
Zoo Exhibits
In our outdoor Zoo, animals representing nearly 50 different species introduce children to the rich diversity of life on earth and help build a lifelong passion for learning about the natural world. Residents include snakes and other reptiles, a variety of marine and fresh water animals—including sharks, raccoons, bats and other mammals, a Red Tailed Hawk, a Great Horned Owl and two Bobcats!
Bobcat Ridge
Coming Spring 2010!
Next spring, our beloved bobcats, Tule and Rufus, will get a new home! The Zoo’s current aviary will be transformed into a big cat haven that more closely mirror’s the animals’ natural habitat. Structural and exhibit enhancements will also be designed to create a better visitor experience. Highlights of the project include the following:
- Increased exhibit height and square footage
- New, non-reflective glass to increase visibility
- A more natural setting with sloped landscaping, soil, grass, plants, a large tree, heated rocks, and a pond and waterfall
- A child-size crawlspace to allow safe and playful, eye-to-eye views of the bobcats
- Exhibit accessories--touchable bobcat furs, skulls and other animal artifacts--that allow for a more tactile exploration of the animal residents
- A whimsical bobcat pretend habitat and costumes for kids to wear while engaging in imaginative "bobcat play"
- Improved interpretive signage to benefit both parents and children
- A new “behind-the-scenes” animal observation and treatment area, as well as upgraded drainage and sprinkler systems
The Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo have raised $450,000 to support the construction of Bobcat Ridge. To learn more about this exciting project, meet JMZ Director John Aikin, and/or discuss a donation, please contact:
Molly McAuliffe, Director of Development
Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo
1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301-3351
(650) 326-6338, info@friendsjmz.org
