Adventures in learning for the entire family
The first thing you notice when you walk into the Graduate Nashville hotel is an 8-by-15-foot portrait depicting the Grand Ole Opry star Minnie Pearl. Although images of country favorites aren’t out of the ordinary in Music City, the medium used for her likeness in this case is. She’s a latch hook rug with a shaggy bubblegum-pink background.
“It’s definitely surprising,” said general manager Greg Bradley. It’s hardly the only unexpected art piece on the property. The art adds a storytelling element to the hotel. Its design is inspired by a fictional female singersongwriter’s journey trying to make it big in Nashville, from crashing on a
Supercharge your family’s brain power with a visit to these dynamic friend’s couch (hence the multitude of mismatch, vintage-inspired sofas in the lobby) to the top of the charts (depicted by the all-pink, Dolly Parton-inspired fever dream that is White Limozeen, the rooftop bar).
Though it may seem over-the-top to those used to crashing in hotels where each room features the same massproduced painting or print, the Graduate Nashville is actually in line with a growing trend. More and more hotels across the country are striving to bring the gallery into the guest experience, in an effort to share and start conversations, to make art accessible, to educate and to inspire.
Many of the art-forward hotels, such as the Art in Denver and the Alexander in Indianapolis, work with destinations.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama: Do you have what it takes to be a space explorer? Visit this otherworldly technology center to experience the Discovery Shuttle simulator, feel three times the force of gravity in the G-Force Accelerator and peruse one of the largest collections of rockets and space memorabilia
on display anywhere in the world.
You can also discover what it takes to be among the world’s great record holders. Check out the center’s latest traveling exhibition, The Science of Guinness World Records, to uncover the stories of those whose talent and tenacity enabled them to best the longest, farthest, deepest, highest records on the planet.
Contact: www.rocketcenter.com Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago: Encouraging curiosity and celebrating questions, this is the place to see a German submarine, understand how tornadoes and avalanches happen and explore the structure of the eye in a hands-on lab environment.
Discover the mathematical patterns that surround us every day in the natural world – from the delicate, nested spirals of a sunflower’s seed to the ridges of a majestic mountain range, in a compelling exhibit called Numbers in Nature. Then make your way to the Whispering Gallery to understand how sound travels in different environments.
Contact: www.MSIChicago.org
Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California: Founded in 1984, this organization’s mission is to inspire conservation of the world’s oceans. Through a variety of interactive activities and exhibits designed for young children and families, your crew will learn about the delicate balance that exists in our seas today.
The youngest visitors will be drawn to the 40-footlong touch pool for an up-close look at curious creatures like sea stars, urchins, kelp crabs and abalones. You’ll all enjoy the playful antics of southern sea otters, learning about the world of mud flats and marshes, and observing a master of disguise, the Giant Pacific Octopus.
Contact: www.MonterayBayAquarium.org
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis: Spread across 29 acres with more than 472,900
square feet of exhibit space on five floors, this nonprofit institution is considered the largest children’s museum in the world. It has been entertaining and educating families since 1925. Kids can learn about the day-to-day duties of astronauts and get inspired by the powerful stories of other children including Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, Ryan White and Malala Yousafzai. Families are charmed by a historic carousel and inspired by exhibits that explain how plant science can help the world by cleaning up oil spills and cultivating healthy food.
Contact: www.childrensmuseum.org
Musical Instrument Museum,
Phoenix, Arizona: This unusual museum enables families to see and experience more than 3,000 instruments and artifacts from around the world. Live performances, family-friendly festivals and a wide array of lectures and classes are available. Check out the Steinway piano on which John Lennon composed “Imagine” as well as the instruments of Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana and
George Benson. Wireless headsets allow guests to hear as well as see exhibits throughout the museum. Check out their extensive and diverse concert schedule.
Contact: www.TheMim.org