Families enjoy annual tradition with 'Museum Day'

Ashley Morrison, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Aug. 21—What do a barn owl, a ball python, and a Madagascar hissing cockroach have in common? They were all animal ambassadors for the local "Museum Day."

The Anniston Museums and Gardens' well known annual tradition drew in the crowds the minute the doors were open Saturday — kids, teens, parents and the occasional granny.

"The intent of Museum Day is that it's our way of giving back to the community. We want everyone and anyone to be able to come and utilize this great educational resource," assistant director Sarah Burke said.

Museum Day began as a celebration of the anniversary of the Anniston Museum of Natural History's collection being brought to Anniston, according to Burke.

The collection originally resided downtown in the basement of the old Carnegie Library, then in the War Memorial building on Gurnee. It's been in its current spacious and picturesque structure at 800 Museum Drive since 1976.

Saturday's event featured free admission for both the Anniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum for its opening hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with food vendors, live animal ambassadors and interactive exhibits until 2 p.m.

Anniston police Cpl. Donald McGraw and Investigator Cody Scheurich were there representing APD and interacting with the community.

"We're just walking the grounds, doing our community relations detail here, and just getting to see the citizens, pass out our junior police sticker badges, and just have a special day with the community," McGraw said.

The Berman Museum featured several interactive exhibits with staff members placed throughout each floor engaging with visitors. It also featured a living history program with a 13-year-old actor, Coleman Brightwell, playing the part of Napoleon II.

"We have an awesome volunteer who's actually a part of the CastKids crew. He's playing the 13-year-old Napoleon II who had a pretty rough go at life so-to-speak," Burke said. "And everybody knows about Napoleon but they don't know about his kid, so it's interesting to hear what it was like for him."

Outside, three food vendors — Kona Ice, Kristi's Classics and R&D Fins and Chicks Food for the Soul — were placed near The Berman, the Museum of Natural History, and near the wooden bridge that connects the two.

Burke said the day is one that community members know and love, as it is one of two event days of the year when the museum opens the doors to the community free of charge; with the other day occurring in February during the Annual Heritage Festival.

"We try to have one every six months, so there's something that opens up the opportunity for our community to come," Burke said.