Photo courtesy Science Museum of Virginia
While the Science Museum of Virginia is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it still has something to offer the curious and inquisitive over the coming months.
“We’re actually trying to focus on making sure that we are having plenty of content available on our social media channels, on our blog, our YouTube page, that are all STEM- and science-related,” says Jennifer Guild, the museum’s manager of communications and curiosity.
If you’re scrolling for a virtual version of the state-supported museum’s current exhibits, such as “Giant Insects,” that’s not something you’ll find, however.
“For us, compared to some of the art museums or history museums, it’s a little more difficult,” Guild says. “There’s no way that we can simulate being in a hurricane chamber or running on this sprint track in a virtual exhibit.”
The museum staff is using the closure as an opportunity to revitalize their online content.The museum posts a weekly “question your world” segment, along with social media content and a blog with science news.
Last month, the museum underwent a different kind of repurposing, as the Virginia Senate was scheduled to convene at the Science Museum’s Dewey Gottwald Center instead of its tight quarters at the Virginia Capitol. Senators each received their own sanitized table and chair, sitting 6 feet apart from their fellow legislators.
