Museum seeks to attract adults with Science Society

Mid-America Science Museum wants to draw adults to its facilities using what it does best — science.

Science Society, which will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. today in Mid-America Science Museum, is a once-a-month event designed specifically for a 21-andover crowd. The event has a $5 admission fee and features food, beverages and science experiments for visitors to enjoy.

Holding the event in the evening offers a good window of time for adults who work to visit the museum, according to Jim Miller, the museum’s marketing director.

“By doing evening events, it kind of gives people an opportunity, after hours, after they’re off work,” Miller said.

Similar events held by other science museums across the country, and noticing that adults were visiting the museum, provided the inspiration for Science Society, he said.

“I’ll see couples in here. They’re older, and they’re just in here being kids and having a good time,” Miller said. “It’s not always convenient for couples to come and do that, especially when we’ve got school groups or the museum is really full.”

Another factor was the limited entertainment options for young people in Hot Springs.

“I’ve lived in Hot Springs for five or six years, and there’s a lot to do, but there’s still not always enough for young people to do in town,” Miller said. “Young adults, especially.”

The museum reached out to local organizations to put the event together. The first Science Society, held on Feb. 9, featured the theme “Sweet! Science” for Valentine’s Day and offered drinks from Tri-Lakes Liquor and Red Light Roastery and food from Chef Porter Montgomery.

In the way of interactive experiments, “Sweet! Science” featured lamb hearts that visitors could dissect.

Lori Arnold, the museum’s exhibit designer, visited “Sweet! Science” with her husband.

“We got to socialize with a lot of wonderful people that we normally don’t get to see and enjoy the sampling of the cocktails and the sampling of the foods,” Arnold said. “It was our chance to play, because, you know, you kind of stay away from everything so that the kids can do it.”

Today’s Science Society will bring back the food and beverages featured at “Sweet! Science” for the visitors’ enjoyment. The event, which bears the theme “The Science of Sound,” will also bring in a local guest, DJ Courier, who will be demonstrating the science of spinning vinyl.

Doug Herbert, education director of Mid-America Science Museum, said Science Society lines up with the museum’s larger mission to get people — no matter their age — fascinated by science.

“We want to make sure that people have a good time and, if possible, think a little bit deeper about the common, everyday science around them in the world,” Herbert said. “If they look just a little bit deeper, they can actually find the science of it and find the fascination again.”

Science Society has events planned through May and could potentially continue into the summer. April’s theme will be “The Science of Suds,” which will focus on how beer is made, and May’s theme will be “The Science of Art,” which will focus on the scientific aspect of visual mediums.

Arnold said she sees Science Society becoming an attractive entertainment option for all adults — young and old — in the Spa City.

“I can see this becoming something very popular — kind of like, ‘What are you gonna do next month?’” Arnold said.