Springfield Science Museum - Springfield, MA - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

The present day museum was established in 1899 as the Springfield Ethnological and Natural History Museum, “a collection of specimens of natural history and a repository of arts and curiosities, a Museum in fact, of curious or instructive objects… ” When the Museum of Fine Arts was constructed in 1933 the classical brick façade of the Natural History Museum was replaced by Tilton and Githens with a matching limestone Art Deco façade which includes a frieze of hexagonal bas-relief sculptures of various fauna and flora that represent the natural world. The Museum has expanded its scope and now has six permanent collections in separate exhibit areas.

The Solutia Live Animal Center opened in April 1995 exhibits coral reef fish, New England fish, rainforest animals, and animals that live in mangroves. Seymour Planetarium, the oldest operating planetarium in the United States, can project more than 7,000 stars which vary in brightness. Dinosaur Hall features life size replicas of Tyrannosaurus rex, a Coelophysis, a Stegosaurus skeleton, dinosaur tracks and dinosaur dioramas. The multi-level R.E. Phelon African Hall opened in 1981 with exhibits that highlight the diversity of Africa's wildlife and peoples. The Molecular Playground is an interactive display of biologically significant molecules.

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Quadrangle - Mattoon Street Historic District Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] Address: Springfield Science Museum 21 Edwards Street Springfield, MA 01103 How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below) Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link] NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   06/26/2010 Metro2 visited it