CO M M U N IT Y PA R TN E R S H I P S
Photo: Laura Dempsey
FREE PASS TO A WORLD OF NATURAL WONDERS Cleveland Public Library partners with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to offer free Museum family passes.
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eet an albino raccoon, marvel at dinosaur bones, watch otters frolic in the water, stargaze in a planetarium, and more—all at no cost, thanks to a special partnership between Cleveland Public Library and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The family pass program allows anyone with a valid Cleveland Public Library card to check out a pass admitting up to six people into the Museum at no charge. “The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a world-class institution, and this partnership can help open new worlds for our patrons,” says Melanie Guzmán McCarter, who works with Outreach & Programming Services at Cleveland Public Library. “I encourage our patrons to take advantage of this program by checking out a pass and inviting their families and friends to visit the Museum.” With a free family pass, Library patrons can explore wonders both new and old (as in, millions of years old) at the Museum. 10 UpNext Winter 2018–2019
Visitors might recognize some classics among the Museum’s collections—including dinosaurs, especially “Happy,” the Late Jurassic sauropod; a cast of Lucy, the early human ancestor who lived 3.2 million years ago; and Balto, the heroic husky— but new galleries and exhibits ensure there’s something to captivate everyone who stops in. Ride out some tremors on the earthquake simulator, cower before the armored skull of the fierce Dunkleosteus, view a Moon rock from the Apollo 12 mission, piece together a model of a human skull, learn about volcanoes and climate change, and scavenge for cheeseburgers (more on that in a minute). One of the Museum’s most visible recent additions is the Perkins Wildlife Center & Woods Garden, which gives visitors an up-close-and-personal view of wildlife including bobcats, a bald eagle, foxes, hawks, coyotes, a porcupine, owls, turkey vultures, and many other creatures. This year-round outdoor gallery
