Museum ‘must-see’
Dear editor:
My family migrated to The Natural State in the mid-1980s from south Louisiana. Our first year in Arkansas we lived on Petit-Jean Mountain. During a family weekend visit to Hot Springs, Mid-America Science Museum was on our list of “must-see” locations. Soon after this weekend trip the Moutons moved to Hot Springs. Quickly my parents looked around for things to do in our new home. Growing up in the house of an educator, it did not take long for our Mom to find the value of Mid-America Science Museum.
It did not matter if it was the inertia exhibits, laser shows, gravity tests or the hydroelectric experiments; there was always something to amaze, educate and capture imagination in the museum. Growing up our family attended every new exhibit. It was a neat way to develop and hone our own imaginations. I have seen the creative problem solving that my brother, sister, and I possess. It is obvious many off these skills came from our time in MASM.
Now fast forward to present day. My wife, Jen, and I migrated to Hot Springs after our military careers. We are here to give our son the best future opportunities in an environment that prides itself on an educated population thrives from continued academic offerings to grow our children for the future. The steps that MASM has taken to continue its relevance as an educational institution is added proof to this community’s commitment to development, imagination, and the successes of our youths.
Andre, our 13-year-old son, has had the opportunity to enjoy the captivating experiments within MASM. Along with his cousins, Sophie, 13, and Leah, 10, they have explored our depths, engineered bridges, produced amazing stop motion videos and discovered prehistoric fossils. All of this could not have been done without the continued support of Hot Springs, its residents, and visitors to MASM. Watching my parents’ grandchildren play, learn, and grow in the similar footsteps that I was fortunate to follow is a blessing. These feelings are only surpassed by the education and imagination that my son and nieces get from each visit to the museum.
Diane LaFollette, executive director for MASM, has become a wonderful asset to the museum as well as our community. Mrs. LaFollette’s obvious dedication to cutting edge delivery of education through our museum is impressive. It is through her leadership that our museum remains a must-see for residents and visitors far beyond Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas. Alex Mouton Hot Springs