International Museum Day at the County Museum

The San Bernardino County Museum will celebrate International Museum Day on Sunday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Family programs, presentations by museum staff, and free museum admission will highlight the day. Free admission is sponsored by Century 21 Lois Lauer Realty.

International Museum Day has been celebrated all over the world since 1977. The event provides the opportunity for museum professionals and the public to meet and for museums to share the challenges and opportunities of being institutions in the service of society and its development. Visitors at the county museum will be able to meet some of the people who care for and interpret museum collections that reflect the natural and cultural history of inland California and the Southwest.
The International Council on Museums states, "Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures, and development of mutual understanding, cooperation, and peace among peoples."

Family activities will focus on museum collections in the avian galleries with "Birds: Beaks, Feathers, and Eggs, Oh My!" The Museum Youth Club will help families discover the answers to such puzzling bird questions as "How does a bird chew without teeth?" or "How can a bird survive in the great outdoors without a coat?" Crafts, games, and activities are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A $1 program fee will be requested for some activities to cover the cost of materials.

Museum curators care for the museum collections. Curators from museum divisions of anthropology and archaeology, geology, paleontology, history and archives, and biological sciences will set up special tables throughout the museum to show objects from the collections and answer questions about how the specimens and artifacts are safeguarded and why it is important to manage the collections. These presentations will be ongoing from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the museum galleries.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Admission is free on May 16. Parking is free, and the facility is handicapped-accessible. Lunch, snacks, and beverages are available at the museum's Garden Café from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit the museum at www.sbcountymuseum.org or call (909) 307-2669 / TDD/TTY: (909) 792-1462.