Note: The Science Center Galleries are open as follows:
Weather and Science of Art -- Wed-Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Space and History of Technology -- Sat 10 a.m - 5 p.m. and Sun noon - 5 p.m.
Stay tuned for information regarding the reopening of other science galleries.
An inspiring, hands-on experience for everyone! Playing a laser harp, creating a cloud, and discovering the power of wind probably isn’t your typical day.
The Putnam Science Center is part of the Museum’s focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, and supports national and statewide efforts to increase STEM skills. Using existing museum space, the center features a variety of hands-on stations.
Visitors of all ages will not only learn concepts and make connections to STEM careers but will have fun together doing it!
When you visit, you may notice that the Science Galleries look a bit messy. These spaces are in "trial stage", which means signage and label content is still being developed by our educators and shaped by our visitors. After we test various ideas and gather feedback, content will be finalized and printed professionally. Share your thoughts with a staff member in the gallery or at Ticketing during your next visit.
STEM INITIATIVE CONTRIBUTORS
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The Bechtel Trusts
John Deere Foundation
Vision Iowa
3M
Alcoa Foundation and Alcoa Davenport Works
Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust
City of Davenport
Hubbell-Waterman Foundation
Modern Woodmen of America
Cobham Life Support
Easter Family Fund
Mr. Reuben Margolin
Riverboat Development Authority
Scott County Regional Authority
Achieve Quad Cities
Genesis Systems Group
John H. Harris III Memorial Foundation
Mr. Frank & Mrs. Ann McCarthy
McLaughlin Body Company
Scott County
Mr. Steve & Mrs. Jane Bahls
Mr. Mark & Mrs. Rita Bawden
Duncan & Dianne Cameron Family Foundation
Doris & Victor Day Foundation
Moline Foundation
Royal Neighbors of America
Mr. Myron & Mrs. Carolyn Scheibe
Shive-Hattery, Inc.
Tennant Truck Lines, Inc.
Mr. Dana & Mrs. Faye Waterman |
Dr. Ralph H. and Mrs. Marcia A.
Congdon
Iowa Space Grant Consortium
Isle of Capri
Mid States Transmission Parts
Miracle Tools America LLC
Anne McCoy Nagan Fund
Mr. Chris & Mrs. Mary Rayburn
Dr. Paul & Mrs. Karen Rohlf
Mr. Mike & Mrs. Sara Thoms
Mr. Frank & Mrs. Teresa Clark
Mr. Ken Croken & Ms. Kathryn
McKnight
Mr. Travis & Mrs. Amanda Crowell
DMW Design
Ms. Kim Findlay & Mr. Rick Brackey
Iowa/Illinois Chapter NDIA
Mr. Stephen & Mrs. Melinda Kruse
Mr. Leo Schubert & Ms. Susan Sharar
Mrs. Katherine Sigardson-Poor & Dr. Curtis Poor
Silver Oaks Communications
Mr. David & Mrs. Barbara Sloane
Staak Family Fund
US Bank
Anonymous (2)
Mr. David & Mrs. Ewelina Bergert
Mr. Ryan & Mrs. Allison Castle
Ms. Christine Chandler
Ms. Linda Cook
Ms. Drue Curry
Mr. Mark & Mrs. Mary Davidsaver |
Ms. Christy A. Doornink
Mr. Jeff & Mrs. Lori Doroba
Doroba Dental
Mr. Ted & Mrs. Lisa Ewing
Mr. Luke Fernandez
Mr. Keith & Mrs. Marie Gellerstedt
Shaun & Victoria Graves
Mr. Matt & Mrs. Christine Hayes
Ms. Christina Kastell
Mr. Brad & Mrs. Lindsey Kennedy
Ms. Alice H. Loff
Ms. Kelly MacIntyre
Mr. Steve & Mrs. Patricia Mapley
Ms. Janet Masamoto
Mrs. Barbara Matt
Ms. Susan Matt
Mr. Tim & Mrs. Lynn Murphy
Ms. Nichole Myles
Mr. David & Mrs. Martha Neal
Claudia & Randall Neumann
Diane & Michael Puthoff
Ms. Susan S. Skora
Ms. Meia S. Teague
Ms. Betsy Matt Turner
Mr. Rian Waterman |
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR INDIVIDUAL STEM LEARNING CENTER CAMPAIGN (RAZOO):
Barbara H Lowe, Wendy Schuldt, Douglas L Rick, Allison Castle, David Bergert, Lindsey M Kennedy, Nixalite of America, Luke Fernandez, Susan Matt, Mark A Davidsaver, Drue K. Curry, Nichole Myles, Barbara Matt, Christy A Doornink, Alice Loff, Patricia Mapley, Stephen Mapley, Matt Hayes, Timothy J Murphy, Susan S. Skora, Christine L Chandler, Theodore B. Ewing, Christina Kastell, Meia S. Teague, Linda Cook, Kelly MacIntyre, Elizabeth Matt Turner, Rian D. Waterman, Jonah Cohen, and anonymous
Black Earth | Big River
Cross over the bridge and let the River guide you through the natural habitats of the Quad Cities area. Explore wetlands, woodlands, prairies and even your own backyard as you wander through the Putnam’s interactive exhibit. See the creatures large and small that roam our area today. Explore a huge oak tree – from the inside out! Listen to the sounds of the marsh and the stories of the people who live on the River. Come face-to-face with LIVE Mississippi River fish and reptiles in our 718-gallon aquarium!
You'll do this and more when you see the area's natural habitats as you've never seen them before in
Black Earth | Big River.
Hall of Mammals
Explore the world of mammals at the Putnam! From the familiar cottontail rabbit in your backyard to the polar bears of the Arctic Circle, mammals – large and small – are everywhere! Travel from an artic glacier to an African waterhole, and check out who's come for a drink. Not only will you see these animals in their natural habitats, you’ll hear them too!
Where else can you travel from your backyard to the dusty plains of Africa and the ice-covered waters of the Arctic in just a few steps?
Take a Virtual Tour of our Hall of Mammals exhibit! You van view more on this exhibit by following our YouTube Channel
here!
Ocean Experience
Ocean Experience focuses on underwater habitats and is located at the end of
Black Earth Big River. View a giant clam shell, observe a real coral reef or try your hand at operating an underwater robotic arm.
Sponsors:
Play: The Story of Toys
Now Open!
From ancient times to today, children have played with toys! Explore the role of toys and play in society through the Putnam-original exhibit, Play: The Story of Toys!
In this exhibit for all ages, you'll be able to take a look at a variety of toys including those that are educational, creative, and meant for the outdoors. Visitors can explore how gender roles in society were reinforced by children's toys. Visitors will be able to reminisce about favorite toy fads and dangerous toys they may have had growing up as well as view new inclusive and technological toys.
The exhibit also features a case all about toys manufactured right here in the Quad Cities!
Sponsors:
This exhibit is supported by a grant from
Scott County Regional Authority.
Birds and You — Opening Soon!
Opening February 6, 2021!
Did you know? The number of birds in the U.S. and Canada has fallen by a staggering 29% since 1970! Each of us can play a role in bird restoration efforts.
Birds and You examines the role we all can play in protecting and preserving the birds we see every day in our backyards and fields. Visitors can expect to see a variety of taxidermy mounts, eggs, and nests from the Putnam’s collection while learning about the issues facing birds today and the simple things they can do to help.
The exhibit includes a variety of birdhouses loaned by community members and will feature activities including identifying birds by their silhouettes and creating your own origami passenger pigeon.
Birds and You will also be the starting place for a self-guided bird watch at the Putnam. Visitors will learn about various local species in the exhibit and recieve a checklist for a "bird count" in
Black Earth Big River which features hundreds of taxidermied animals, including birds, in a natural setting complete with a cave system, woodlands, and river tributary. Putnam partner and President of Quad Cities Audubon Society, Jody Millar, hopes the experience will introduce visitors to birding as a hobby and encourage them to partiicpate in regional Audubon Society bird counts. "A walk through the
Black Earth Big River area should be fun," she said. "Many birds have been placed here in a life-like setting. While foks walk through and search for birds, they will have an opporunity to learn more about birds and to sharpen their birding skills."
Hope you can join us at the Putnam-original,
Birds and You! Plan your visit
here.
OMg! Elements of Surprise
Discover the building blocks that shape YOUR WORLD through this Putnam exhibit experience about the weird and wonderful Periodic Table!
Elements are all around you; they make up EVERYTHING — the air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we walk on AND YOU!
Celebrate the Year of the Periodic Table and take an eye-opening tour through the Periodic Table of Elements — more than 150 years after its creation!
In this fascinating, interactive exhibit, you’ll explore how these elements shape your world while you
create molecular compounds and set off virtual chemical reactions! From hidden histories to stories your teacher never told you in Chemistry class, you'll discover the periodic table in a new light!
Take a virtual tour of the OMg! Exhibit
Visit our
YouTube channel to view more OMg! videos.
INTERACT WITH US VIRTUALLY
Chemistry demonstrations are available! Learn More
Sponsors:
Generous support provided by Arconic Foundation and ACS Illinois-Iowa Local Section.
Fossils and Minerals
The fossil and mineral annexes, located off our main entrance, feature rotating displays from our rock, mineral and gem collections as well as our paleontology collections.
Currently featured in the fossil annex is a collection of Mazon Creek fossils from Illinois, including a Tully Monster (the Illinois State fossil), and a number of other strange animals from that site. The Mazon Creek area is world-renowned for its preservation of soft-bodied animals. Iowa's unofficial State fossil, the crinoid, is also currently featured. In aditional to a crinoid slab from Le Grand, Iowa, the display also includes part of one of the earliest donations made to the museum from outside the immediate Quad Cities area, a collection of crinoid stem pieces collected from Burlington, Iowa, that were acquired in January 1868.
The mineral annex currently features minerals from Iowa--Yes, there's more to Iowa's rocks and minerals than coal and gravel. There is also a selection of some of the birthstone material found in our mineral collection, including a wonderful amethyst specimen from Thunder Bay, Ontario. If you're interested in mineral identification, some of the tools of the trade can be found here as well.
You'll also see our sluice interactive in this area. Mine rough is available for purchase in the Museum Store.
River, Prairie & People
River, Prairie and People takes visitors back in time as they discover what the Quad Cities was like for its earliest inhabitants, and how the Mississippi River helped form the community.
Experience how the Quad Cities took shape through milestones such as the founding of Davenport by Antoine LeClaire, and how the Civil War brought about the Rock Island Arsenal.
See many Quad-City artifacts including the famous Davenport Tablets, learn how John Deere got his start and get up close to Bix Beiderbecke’s cornet as you stroll through this exhibit of Quad-City history.
Sponsors:
Unearthing Ancient Egypt
Please note: Unearthing Ancient Egypt will be closed Thursday January 14 through March 2021 to allow for a few updates to be made to the gallery and for construction of the new World culture gallery. Thank you for your patience.
Step into an ancient Egyptian tomb, discover how ancient Egyptians lived and what they required for a pleasant afterlife. Through a collection of breathtaking authentic Egyptian treasures and the magic of CT (Computed Tomography) imagery, explore two mummies − inside and out! Find out how forensic anthropologists reconstruct facial features and take in our amazing collection of authentic Egyptian treasures!
This iconic gallery is not to be missed!
Uwé Warúmi
Note: Many high touch interactives have been temporarily removed from this exhibit.
Uwe’ Warumi (pronounced Oo-way Wah roomey – the Trading Place − while enjoyable for all visitors, was especially designed for children ages 4-10 years old. The room’s size, labels and activities were created with children and their caregivers in mind.
We believe that children are competent, imaginative and inquisitive, and that the learning that occurs in the museum has a positive, lasting and important effect on their cognitive and social development.
Within the fun of Uwe’ Warumi lies important skills and learning opportunities for young children. Explore Social Studies information through a child’s eye look at EuroAmerican and Native American cultures. Use mathematics to trade the correct furs at the post trade store. Practice large (gross) motor skills on the Native American dance mat or enhance fine motor skills with a game of pick-up sticks. Use the sight word labels to encourage independent reading and engage in pretend play to foster social development.
Reading, trading and dancing are just some of the activities adults and children can explore together. Encourage your child to explore in his or her own way and follow their lead. The Uwe’ Warumi space is an area where children are encouraged to be the leaders of their own discovery.
Sponsors:
