Large Science Museum opens at Berry College

Berry College’s McAllister Hall was dreamt with a museum in mind in order to ignite imagination, inspire curiosity and excite the senses.

Thanks to the generosity and work of the late Dewey and Irene Large, that dream is reality. College officials and friends gathered recently for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the Dewey and Irene Large Science Museum in McAllister Hall.

The museum is filled with displays from the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, as well as items from the existing collections of professors and the chemistry and physics departments. Visitors can see an antique stereoscope from the early 1900’s, an Allosaurus fossilized skull and photos from the Hubble Space Telescope. Stunning environmental photos by Berry College senior Russell Maddrey hang near a 116-year-old water oak tree slice. The tree was taken out in 2003 after sustaining structural damage.

The museum is free and open to the public 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. McAllister Hall is closed on Saturdays.

“It’s the dream of every good science program to have a science museum and now we finally have one,” said Dean of Mathematical and Natural Sciences Gary Breton. Breton thanked Biology Department Chairman Bill Davin for his countless hours of hard work along with sophomore Lindsey Horton.

“Dewey and Irene were passionate about not only the experiences they have had in science and education but they were really passionate about passing it on to others,” said Biology Professor Bruce Conn. “They absolutely adored each other, they adored their children, and they wanted to leave their legacy so that other children could grow and develop over the years.”