Museums at Stony Brook

Purpose: Supporting Lifelong Learning The Long Island Museum is known for a collection of horse-drawn vehicles and related artifacts that is considered the finest in the United States. The museum has recently completed the first phase of a four-year project to transform its 40,000-square-foot Carriage Museum exhibitions from static displays into a lively participatory experience for visitors of all ages. The project will help the museum reach its goal of becoming a truly engaging family destination. This grant will support a yearlong planning process to develop a series of activity stations located throughout the eight exhibition galleries. Each station will provide the visitor with a personal interactive challenge that connects the vehicle to a larger context and involves problem solving and decision making. The activity stations will be developed for family audiences but focused on specific topics in New York State History Learning Standards. The content of each station will be the basis for creating classroom activity kits for use in schools and to prepare students for museum visits. Project outcomes will include a comprehensive plan for the activity stations and related school materials, prototype testing, and staff development.