Four STEM Inspired Outings

As students settle in at school again, foster a love of learning with a family field trip to one of these excellent STEM sites.

• Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium at Union Station

  Gottlieb Planetarium is housed in Union Station and offers spectacular public shows and night sky viewing opportunities. The 60-foot dome makes it one of the largest planetariums in the Midwest. This is a great add-on to a visit to Science City. Visit UnionStaiton.org for information.

• Cedar Cove Feline Sanctuary and Educational Center

  Cedar Cove Feline Sanctuary offers tours of their facility devoted to the care and preservation of endangered large cats to educate the public on their behavior, physiology, habitats and the threats and dangers of extinction. Keepers at Cedar Cove are educated and trained in the care of large exotic felines. Visit SaveOurSiberians.org for information.

• Linda Hall Library

  The Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology is a research library, home to a beautiful 14-acre arboretum and a facilitator of amazing online resources for STEM learners. The library is not your traditional local library with stacks of books to explore; rather, expert librarians help researchers discover materials among their thousands of volumes to work on projects. The grounds surrounding the library are home to a beautiful 14-acre arboretum that is free and open to the public. The gardens are especially lovely in the spring and autumn and are a favorite place for exercise, quiet respite, dog walks, photographers and nature lovers. This is a great place to enjoy a beautiful green space in the heart of the city. In addition to the physical library, Linda Hall Library offers other fantastic resources for STEM learners. Specifically, their online exhibitions and their "How Do I Become ____?" Series are wonderful for young people! Visit LindaHall.org to learn more.

• Richard L. Sutton, Jr., M.D. Museum of Geosciences at UMKC

  Richard L. Sutton Jr. Museum of Geosciences at UMKC displays a collection of cephalopods (squid-like ocean dwellers), crinoids and fluid inclusions (rocks containing liquids). An interactive feature allows viewers to tip one such specimen of clear quartz to watch the trapped primordial water move. These and countless other mineral and fossil specimens are available for viewing by the public.