OPENING TO DAZZLING REVIEWS BEFORE QUICKLY HAVING TO CLOSE, MAINE’S PREMIER SCIENCE MUSEUM TO REOPEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH CDC GUIDELINES
BETHEL, Maine, April 30th, 2021 – In late December of 2019, the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum (“MMGM”) opened to wondrous reviews. Said The Boston Globe, the MMGM is “astounding,” “world-class,” and “out of this world,” while The Wall Street Journal declared the MMGM is “a museum that rocks.”
However, no sooner did the MMGM open its doors, it had to close as a result of the pandemic. And then it was flooded — not just with patrons eager to visit, but water. On Friday, April 30th, the MMGM is reopening. Said Museum Director Barbra Barrett, “While our re-opening feels a bit like Groundhog’s Day, we couldn’t possibly be more excited…again.”
The 15,000 square foot Museum resides in the small town of Bethel, Maine, 90-minutes northwest of Portland. Its location is the result of a land conservation area created by Museum founders Mary McFadden and Dr. Lawrence Stifler. Unbeknownst to them at the time of acquisition, one parcel contained an abandoned mine. When the founders learned how important and historic Maine’s mining heritage happened to be, they wished to honor and preserve that legacy. They also wished to engage children to learn more about science. That’s when things got really ambitious.
19 interactive exhibits engage visitors on an immersive experience. In addition, the MMGM also features hundreds of sparkling gems and minerals as well as the five largest pieces of the Moon on Earth and the world’s foremost collection of samples of the planet Mars. Said Barrett, “The MMGM has so much to offer, and we’re thrilled to welcome explorers from every walk of life to a place where there is something for everyone to enjoy.”
This gem of a museum follows Maine’s CDC guidelines. To protect the health, safety, and comfort of those visiting, attendance is limited. Advance ticketing is encouraged and can be purchased through the Museum website, mainemineralmuseum.org, or by calling (207) 824-3036.
