Fly to the Moon

April 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Jack Lousma NASA Astronaut EVA Skylab

The Yankee Air Museum has launched its first-ever traveling exhibit and NASA Fly Me to the Moon is out of this world in every way. The opening starred Jack Lousma, former NASA astronaut and always a Michigan hero.

NASA Fly Me to the Moon  includes interactive exhibits, historic artifacts, incredible models and will be on display through May 10, 2013. Yankee Air Museum is located at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti and open Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information: yankeeairmuseum.org.

A Michigan native, Mr. Lousma is pictured above, high above Earth, on an Extra-Vehicular Activity while a member of the second manned crew on the Sklyab Space Station. He later served as commander of the third Space Shuttle mission, the test flight STS-3.

Skylab space station

Mr. Lousma also served on the astronaut support crews of the Apollo 9, 10, and 13 missions. The line made famous in the movie “Apollo 13″ — “Houston, we have a problem” — was received at NASA Mission Control in Houston by Jack Lousma.

The NASA Fly Me to the Moon exhibition represents the first ever travelling exhibition hosted by the Yankee Air Museum. The exhibit is made possible through the services of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo and NASA.

The exhibition features one-third scale models of the Apollo Command/Service Module and Lunar (Excursion) Module. Visitors will learn about science gained though manned space exploration, including America’s first manned space observatory aboard Sklylab, which provided groundbreaking information about solar physics.

Exhibits and activities also include:

  • Interactive Science Experiments
  • Shuttle Repair Station
  • Astronomy Observation Station
  • Moonwalk
  • Velcro Wall
  • Bungee Run
  • The chance to fly an education simulator in a NASA F-18 over Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral

 

Apollo 17 Commander Eugene Cernan salutes the flag of the United States of America

Apollo 17 Commander Eugene Cernan salutes the flag of the United States of America during the mission’s first of two lunar EVA. In the background are the Lunar (Excursion) Module and the General Motors-built Lunar Rover. Cernan and astronaut-geologist Harrison Schmitt stayed on the surface of the moon in the Taurus-Littrow lunar valley for three days while astronaut Ronald Evans piloted the Command Module overhead.

Filed Under: Fun, History, Reviews, Science, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom on Tour

March 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

MCPA-Steve-Gros-Mutual-of-Omahas-Wild-Kingdom

Take a walk on the wild side with Peter Gros and many of his best animal friends from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom stop in at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. Two fun-filled, family friendly shows will happen Saturday, April 13.

From MCPA:

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom co-host and special ambassador Peter Gros entertains with tales of his thrilling travel adventures. This renowned wildlife expert captivates kids of all ages with a mix of video clips and bloopers, discussions of conservation issues, and exciting introductions to his exotic animal friends. Gros has brought the animal kingdom into millions of households as the co-host of the four-time Emmy Award-winning television show, Wild Kingdom, now experience the excitement up close and personal with America’s favorite explorer at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Peter Gros has nearly 30 years of field experience with captive wildlife, including establishing breeding and rehabilitation programs for endangered species and birds of prey. He is a frequent guest on Live! With Kelly and Michael and the CBS Early Show and has appeared on numerous talk shows, including the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But he may best be known for co-hosting Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom series, now on Animal Planet, a program honored with 41 major awards, including four Emmy Awards and an endorsement by the National PTA for television programming. A pioneer in nature television programming, this American family favorite takes audiences to the far corners of the globe and was one of the first to showcase animals in their natural habitats.

Peter Gros is intimately involved in a nationwide conservation education program. Gros’ research expeditions have taken him to Lake Baikal in Siberia to explore the wonders of the world’s largest, oldest and deepest lake, and to the Amazon Basin where he led an expedition of 39 six-graders from Zeeland, Michigan, to study the Peruvian rain forest.

In his travels around the world Peter Gros and his animal friend help teach about the importance of caring for the world around us. “We need to continue to deliver a powerful message about how each of us can make a daily difference in preserving our natural world,” Gros said. “It is possible to use our natural resources in a sustainable manner. We simply need to educate our nation’s youth about the importance of wildlife conservation.”

Take a walk on the wild side with a South East Asian binturong, a kookaburra bird, a giant African crested porcupine, and an Eurasian Eagle Owl, just some of the exotic animal friends Peter Gros will bring with him on his visit to the Macomb Center.

Tickets are $25 gold circle, and $20 house, $15 student tickets. Purchase tickets in person at the Macomb Center box office Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. and Friday 12 – 6 p.m. The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is located on Macomb Community College’s Center Campus at 44575 Garfield Road in Clinton Township, Michigan 48038. Tickets and additional information, including a complete season schedule, are available online at www.MacombCenter.com or by calling 586.286.2222.

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom starring Peter Gros is sponsored in part by the Macomb Center’s premiere sponsors for the 2012 -2013 season The Real Yellow Pages and The Macomb Daily.

The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is a community enrichment program of Macomb Community College dedicated to providing a diverse range of family-oriented cultural enrichment experiences. The Macomb Center presents high-quality professional performances, offers educational outreach in the arts and, in partnership with the adjacent Albert L. Lorenzo Cultural Center, creates unique opportunities for multifaceted cultural programming.

 About Macomb Community College

Macomb Community College (www.macomb.edu) is one of the nation’s leading community colleges, providing learning experiences to nearly 48,000 students annually. Macomb nationally ranks among the top 25 awarders of associate degrees and as the largest grantor of associate degrees in Michigan. The college’s comprehensive educational programming includes pre-collegiate experiences, university transfer and career preparation programs, bachelor degree completion and graduate degree programs, workforce training, professional education and certification, and continuing education and enrichment opportunities.

 

Filed Under: Community, Fun, History, Science Tagged With: , ,

U-M Life Sciences Orchestra – Pictures at an Exhibition

January 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

U-M Life Sciences Orchestra

Picture this: A tuba and Mother Goose go to an art museum with a spectacular orchestra. The musical gallery full of vivid images painted through sound ushers in spring as the University of Michigan Life Sciences Orchestra concludes its 13th season on Sunday, April 28, 2013.

The free concert will begin at 4 p.m. at U-M’s famed Hill Auditorium, and will include Mussogorsky’s famous work Pictures at an Exhibition. This suite of short pieces — inspired by a gallery exhibit of paintings — was brought to life by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky and arranged for orchestra by Maurice Ravel.

Also on the program: Ravel’s own composition Ma mère l’oye, or Mother Goose – featuring evocative movements depicting Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb, an Asian princess, Beauty and the Beast, and a fairy garden.

Tuba soloist Neil McKay, a U-M engineering graduate and winner of the LSO’s Concerto Competition, will take center stage with a performance of the Horn Concerto No. 1 by Richard Strauss. The Romantic-era piece, which includes echoes of hunting horn calls, was declared too difficult by Strauss’s father, a famous French horn player.

The LSO will be led by music director Oriol Sans, a graduate of the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance’s nationally known orchestral conducting program. He will be assisted by Daniel Brier, a current student in the program.

The performance is free and open to the public with general admission seating. No tickets are required.

The Life Sciences Orchestra is made up of medical, health and science faculty, staff, students and alumni from throughout U-M. The orchestra is part of the Gifts of Art program, which brings the world of art and music to the U-M Health System. The LSO gives members an outlet for their musical talents and a chance to interact with one another across academic disciplines and professions. Founded by students and staff from the U-M Health System, the orchestra made its concert debut in January 2001.

For more information on the concert or the LSO, visit www.umich.edu/~lsorch or www.facebook.com/umlso, send e-mail to orchestra@umich.edu, or call (734) 936-ARTS.

Filed Under: Classical, Music, Reviews, Science Tagged With: , , ,

Inside the Mind and Music of Beethoven

January 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Pro Musica Detroit Richard Kogan Inside Mind and Music of Beethoven

Get inside the mind and music of Beethoven when Pro Musica of Detroit presents pianist and psychiatrist Dr. Richard Kogan. The Juilliard trained concert pianist and Harvard-educated psychiatrist will return to the Detroit stage on March 22 for a recital and lecture titled “The Mind and Music of Beethoven.”

The performance will pair the seminal works of Ludwig van Beethoven with observations about the relationship between the composer’s mind, his creative motivations and his music. The performance marks Dr. Kogan’s fourth appearance with Pro Musica of Detroit and will take place just one month after the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s “Beethoven Festival.”

The program will be held Friday, March 22 in the Music Box at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, beginning at 8:30 p.m. A pre-concert conversation about Beethoven and Pro Musica begins at 7:45 p.m. The program will be followed by an Afterglow reception with the artist.

Dr. Kogan has gained renown for his lecture/recitals that explore the role of music in healing and the influence of psychological factors on the creative output of composers. Past visits to Pro Musica by Kogan have included programs on Robert Schumann, George Gershwin, and Leonard Bernstein.

“The Mind and Music of Beethoven” will explore the psychological and biographical factors that influenced the development of the unique creative genius of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Particular emphasis will be placed on the profound impact of the composer’s deafness on his life and music.

“Beethoven demonstrated mood volatility, persecutory delusions, and suicidal ideation but showed a remarkable psychological resilience in transcending the trauma of his deafness through his decision to fulfill his artistic destiny,” said Dr. Kogan in a recent interview.

Kogan began his music training at the age of 5 with piano lessons with his mother and continued in the Juilliard Pre-College in cello and piano. He completed a double major in music and pre-medicine at Harvard, and his fascination with the complexity of the human mind and creativity ultimately led him to study psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

An afterglow reception of hors d’oeuvre and beverages will follow the concert. All concert attendees are invited to attend the afterglow where they will also have the opportunity to meet Dr. Kogan.

Tickets to see Dr. Richard Kogan in “The Mind and Music of Beethoven” are $45. First time attendees of a Pro Musica of Detroit concert can purchase $20.00 tickets. Student tickets are $10. For more information and to learn more about Pro Musica’s upcoming concerts, please visit promusicadetroit.com. Tickets may be purchased on the Detroit Symphony Orchestra website at dso.org or by calling the Max M. Fisher Box Office at (313) 576-5111. Patron level Pro Music of Detroit ticket holders receive complimentary valet parking by showing their patron ticket.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Richard Kogan has a distinguished career both as a concert pianist and as a psychiatrist. Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and Artistic Director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Initiative, he has been praised for his “eloquent, compelling, and exquisite playing” by the New York Times, and the Boston Globe wrote that “Kogan has somehow managed to excel at the world’s two most demanding professions.”

Dr. Kogan has gained renown for his lecture/recitals that explore the role of music in healing and the influence of psychological factors and psychiatric and medical illness on the creative output of composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, and Bernstein. He has given these presentations at music festivals, concert series, medical conferences, and scholarly symposia throughout the world. He delivered an address entitled “The Power of Music in Healing Mind and Body” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Dr. Kogan has recorded the DVD “Music and the Mind : The Life and Works of Robert Schumann” for Yamaha/Touchstar Productions. In a review of the DVD, Yo-Yo Ma wrote “I came away from this extraordinary lecture and performance deeply moved by a fascinating presentation that only Dr. Kogan, psychiatrist and concert pianist, can deliver … Through a unique combination of brilliant psychiatric insights and superb musicianship, my musical colleague Richard Kogan presents a rich multidimensional profile revealing some of the most intimate sources of Robert Schumann’s enormous creativity, imagination and artistry.” Dr. Kogan has won numerous honors including the Concert Artists Guild Award, the Chopin Competition of the Kosciuszko Foundation, the Liebert Award for Applied Psychoanalysis, and the McGovern Award for the Art and Science of Medicine.

Dr. Kogan is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music Pre-college, Harvard College, and Harvard Medical School. He completed a psychiatry residency and an academic fellowship at NYU. He is Co-Director of the Human Sexuality Program at the Weill Cornell Medical College and has a private practice of psychiatry in New York City.

 

 CONCERT REPERTOIRE:

 Beethoven……………………………………………………………..Sonata No. 6 in F, Op. 10 No. 2

 Beethoven…………………………………………….Sonata No. 23 in f, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”)

 Beethoven…………………………………………………………….Sonata No. 31 in A flat, Op. 110

 

ABOUT PRO MUSICA OF DETROIT

Now in its 86th season, Pro Musica of Detroit is the city’s oldest presenter of chamber music. Past artists have included some of the most well-known names in chamber music including: composers Béla Bartók, Maurice Ravel, and Aaron Copland; and musicians Joshua Bell, Jessye Norman and the Guarneri String Quartet.

The mission of Pro Musica of Detroit is to present to its members works that are rarely or infrequently heard–contemporary as well as classical. For more information, please visit www.promusicadetroit.com.

Filed Under: Classical, Culture, Fun, History, Music, Reviews, Science Tagged With: , , ,

FIRST Robotics Competition — catch the action online

January 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

FIRST Robotics Competition

Catch a cybernetic battle royal Saturday when Detroit Public TV and American Graduate present the 2013 FIRST Robotics Competition. Live streaming from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at dptv.org/robotics on April 13. Held at Eastern Michigan University, the event stars teams of Michigan high school students and their robotic creations.

Among the challenges will be the Ultimate Ascent competition. In the first stage, robots will be paired off against one another and toss discs into a series of elevated baskets. The higher the basket, the more points are awarded. Afterwards, the machines will climb giant scaffold-like pyramidal structures in a race to the top.

The championship team goes on to compete in the national championships in St. Louis. The image above shows a pair of competitors from a previous contest.

From FIRST Robotics Competition:

The FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of a varsity sport with hands-on training in science and technology to help high school students discover how rewarding a career in engineering or technology can be. Remote-controlled robots, piloted by students and cheered on by thousands of screaming fans, go head-to-head in short games on the floor of a sports arena, battling it out to earn points during a two-minute round.

Students on FIRST teams learn from and play with the “pros” – professional engineers who donate their time to work side-by-side with students to help design and build the sophisticated competition robots. This gives FIRST students an insider’s view of a career in science, engineering and technology not possible in a normal classroom setting. Plus, unlike other high school athletics, every student on a FIRST robotics team has a chance to turn “pro.”

 

 

Filed Under: Education, For Students, Fun, Science Tagged With: , , ,

Antikythera Mechanism: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer

January 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment

DPTV presents Nova and Ancient Computer the Antikythera Mechanism

If you’re not downtown tonight at Hard Rock Cafe for the Detroit Historical Society’s Pop Trivia Night competition, tune in to Detroit Public Television Channel 56 for NOVA. You’ll discover how an accidental archaeological discovery revealed working computers have been around for 2,000 years: the Antikythera Mechanism. The program, Ancient Computer, begins at 9 p.m.

From Wikipedia:

Professor Michael Edmunds of Cardiff University, who led a 2006 study of the mechanism, said:

This device is just extraordinary, the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has done this has done it extremely carefully … in terms of historic and scarcity value, I have to regard this mechanism as being more valuable than the Mona Lisa.

From DPTV:

In 1900, a storm blew a boatload of sponge divers off course and forced them to take shelter by the tiny Mediterranean island of Antikythera.

Diving the next day, they discovered a 2,000 year-old Greek shipwreck. Among the ship’s cargo they hauled up was an unimpressive green lump of corroded bronze. Rusted remnants of gear wheels could be seen on its surface, suggesting some kind of intricate mechanism.

The first X-ray studies confirmed that idea, but how it worked and what it was for puzzled scientists for decades. Recently, hi-tech imaging has revealed the extraordinary truth: this unique clockwork machine was the world’s first computer.

An array of 30 intricate bronze gear wheels, originally housed in a shoebox-size wooden case, was designed to predict the dates of lunar and solar eclipses, track the Moon’s subtle motions through the sky, and calculate the dates of significant events such as the Olympic Games.

No device of comparable technological sophistication is known from anywhere in the world for at least another 1,000 years.

So who was the genius inventor behind it? And what happened to the advanced astronomical and engineering knowledge of its makers?

NOVA follows the ingenious sleuthing that finally decoded the truth behind the amazing ancient Greek computer.

DPTV presents Ancient Computer the Antikythera Mechanism

The image at the top of the page is a working model based on the pieces recovered at Antikythera. The image at the bottom are the actual pieces recovered from the Aegean Sea in 1900 and 1901.

 

Filed Under: Culture, History, Science, Video Tagged With: , , , ,

Soul Food: Heritage, Nutrition, Health and Urban Food Deserts

January 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Byron Hurt

Soul food occupies a special place in African American culture, but can it kill you? Don’t miss “Independent Lens: Soul Food Junkies,” tonight at 10 p.m. on WTVS Detroit Public Television Ch. 56.

Baffled by his dad’s unwillingness to change his traditional soul food diet in the face of a health crisis, filmmaker Byron Hurt sets out to learn more about this rich culinary tradition and its relevance to black cultural identity.

You’ll get important news on how to eat well and smart, as well as what we can do to eat well if we live in an urban “food deserts;” areas without fresh, healthy food.

Hurt also explores the socioeconomic conditions in predominantly black neighborhoods, where it can be difficult to find healthy options, and meets some pioneers in the emerging food justice movement who are challenging the food industry.

Click here to learn more.

Filed Under: Community, Culture, Reviews, Science, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , ,

Help Keep Michigan’s Talented in Michigan

December 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Michigan from Orbit

Michigan’s economy continues to make modest gains. However, many people remain under-employed, entrepreneurs are looking to expand their businesses, and people are looking for inspiration to get to the next level.

The Michigan: A State of Success Summit shares blueprints for personal, professional, community, and business growth from real stories told by Michigan leaders and residents to help people find ways to survive, live, and thrive.

What

This one-day event will include speeches, networking opportunities and break-out sessions. Speakers include Chad Wiebesick of Pure Michigan, Rich Homberg of Detroit Public Television, David Murray of Blue Cross Blue Shield, Terry Bean and Charlie Wollborg of TedxDetroit and Motor City Connect, and Hajj Flemings of Brand Camp University.

Break-out sessions will take place from 3-5 p.m. and cover such topics as personal empowerment, career development, business and economic growth, community ownership, and structural creation and transformation. These sessions will be conducted by Ken Harrell, Hailey Zureich, Jodi Knittel and others.

Why

This is the second and largest Michigan: A State of Success Summit. It is the kickoff event of an initiative that will span the entire state in the form of trainings, conferences, and workshops designed to encourage economic and business development for Michigan companies and communities.

The one-day summit and shorter events are all designed to help Michigan residents in making strides in entrepreneurial activity, career improvement, personal empowerment, community ownership, and infrastructure.

Where

NextWave Media Lab, 950 Stephenson Hwy (In the DuPont Building), Troy, Michigan 48083

When

Saturday, January 26. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. with speeches and break-out sessions until 5 p.m. and an after-glow until 6 p.m.

How

To register, please go to http://misuccess.eventbrite.com/#. For more information, contact Ron Marshall at (248) 506-4861 or ron@romacoma.com.

 

About Michigan: A State of Success Summit

The Michigan: A State of Success Summit 2013 shares blueprints for personal, professional, community, and business growth from real stories of Michigan residents finding ways to survive, live, and thrive here. Through the power of the web, with no budget for marketing, the first Summit in 2011 reached more than 160,000 people online and offline. Today, the MIsuccess initiative is a collaboration between companies, non-profits, and others. Sponsors include Pure Michigan, MLive, NextWave, SAFE, Curve Detroit, WorkFly, the Bliss Network, Tangerine Road, BrandCamp U, Romacoma, and more, all dedicated to Michigan’s success

 

Filed Under: Community, Culture, Detroit Inspires, Reviews, Science, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , ,

Auto Focus

November 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

NAIAS 2013

It’s January. And that means the world is beating a path to the Motor City.

There’s good reason for the stampede. With 50 new model introductions, global automakers have saved their best for the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

Detroit’s international automotive showcase opens to the public Saturday at Cobo Center, downtown. In addition to the moving works of art, an art show featuring paintings and drawings by internationally recognized artists specializing in automotive themes will be on display.

Organizers report there will be almost two dozen new concept cars, in addition to the new production models by the Big Three of Detroit and the rest of the world’s automakers. Oh, and Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche are back.

Now in its 25th year as an international event, the NAIAS is among the most prestigious auto shows in the world, providing unparalleled access to the automotive products, people and ideas that matter most – up close and in one place.  Other towns with global auto shows sanctioned by the International Organization of Automobile Constructors include Geneva, Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, and Beijing/Shanghai.

NAIAS runs through Sunday, Jan. 27. Click here for details.

The illustration above depicts the evolution of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, from the 1959 concept car as envisioned by Bill Mitchell on the left, the iconic 1966 Stingray a masterpiece of design and engineering by General Motors’ Ed Cole, Zora Arkus-Duntov and Larry Shinoda, and to the newly introduced 2014 model, the 7th generation Corvette C7, which will be officially unveiled to the public at the show Saturday.

Legendary GM Designers Harley J. Earl and Robert F. McLean helped shape the original 2-seat sports car in 1952. Through their imaginations and the skill of their art, they created an American superstar in racing and sports driving.

Whoever designed the new Stingray deserves the mantle of creative genius, as well, for it combines art and science and fun and freedom like few other things in existence. The Los Angeles Timespolled readers and found that 86-percent wanted to own one. (Full Disclosure: Paperless Lion, your humble editor, is friends with GM engineer Otto Söding, who helped design the mid-engine Corvette concept car in the mid-1970s.)

Bring a camera. You’ll want to long-remember the experience of seeing these moving works of art you saw in-person.

———————–

From the Weekly eCalendar of Detroit History and Cultural Heritage Events:

Going to the Auto Show?  Support the Mittens for Detroit project!

Actress Erin Cummings, who came to Detroit in 2010 to be a part of Detroit 1-8-7, remains committed to our city. Her charity Mittens for Detroit has given away nearly 35,000 pairs of mittens and gloves to local charities.  This year the North American International Auto Show is supporting the effort with dropboxes at show entrances in Cobo Center.  Erin will be appearing at the Auto Show on January 25 & 26, signing autographs, etc. 

 


 

Filed Under: Art & Design, Community, Detroit Inspires, Fun, Reviews, Science, Who We Are Tagged With: , ,

Belle Isle Aquarium open on Saturdays

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Belle Isle Aquarium reopens

As the Phoenix of legen, one of the great cultural treasures of Detroit has returned after an absence of seven years. And if you’re a fan of architecture, science, beauty, culture, history, life and fun like us, you’ll enjoy time on a Saturday walking with the sea creatures inhabiting the Belle Isle Aquarium.

Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and the good people at the Belle Isle Conservancy over the past seven years, plus the financial support of private and public organizations dedicated to historic preservation, the Belle Isle Aquarium re-opened to the public Saturday, Sept. 15.

The community is invited to visit the Aquarium on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Admission is free.

The facility was shuttered in April, 2005 in a series of cost-cutting moves by the City of Detroit. A group of about 200 active volunteers helped preserve the building and grounds.

While some fish were taken in by other institutions, volunteers personally cared for as many of the fish and marine creatures as they could. Fish, particularly the larger and more exotic specimens, require specialized habitats.

Aquariums like Belle Isle are specially designed to house many diverse examples of freshwater and marine. Some of the displays hold many hundreds of gallons of water.

It is believed that the Belle Isle Aquarium is currently the only volunteer run aquarium in the country. The Aquarium and Conservatory were designed by Albert Kahn and opened to the public on August 18, 1904.

When they opened, the Aquarium and Conservatory were declared the finest buildings of their kind in the world. It was the oldest continuously operated public fresh water aquarium in North America.

Since closure, the former Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium, one of four nonprofit organizations that merged into the Belle Isle Conservancy, won two grants to benefit the Aquarium. A grant awarded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation helped to fund the architectural plans and drawings of the Aquarium roof completed by Merz & Associates. A second grant was awarded by the Michigan State Housing Authority State Historic Preservation Office which, along with matching funds provided by the former Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium, funded roof and window repairs. Those repairs are now complete.

 

What to know if you go!

• Admission is free

• Parking is free

• Hours are Saturdays, 10 to 3

• The Aquarium is located on Belle Isle at the intersection of Loiter Way and Inselruhe Avenue

• Bring drinks & snacks, there are no concessions on Belle Isle

• There is a handicap accessible ramp, but no handicap accessible bathroom facilities

• Cameras are welcome

• Visit other island attractions: Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Scott Fountain, Livingstone Lighthouse and the Belle Isle Nature Zoo.

 For more information visit belleisleconservancy.org.

Filed Under: Architecture, Community, Detroit Inspires, History, Reviews, Science Tagged With: ,
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