Springtime brings a variety of attractions to Alabama. Residents and visitors alike can discover the hidden secrets of a mummy and enjoy trolley tours and museums.
Mummy: The Inside Story
Mobile’s Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center will host Mummy: The Inside Story March 9–July 31. The exhibition from The British Museum in London will showcase more than 90 Egyptian funerary objects, including the coffin and mummy of Nesperennub, an Egyptian priest who lived 3,000 years ago. “What sets Mummy apart from a traditional museum show, however, is a spectacular 3-D ‘virtual tour’ inside the mummy that is an integral element of the exhibition,” said Michael Sullivan, Exploreum executive director. Exhibit visitors can enter a 100-seat immersive theater, specially constructed within the exhibit hall, to witness in 3-D clarity the virtual unwrapping of Nesperennub’s mummy and a historical reconstruction of how he lived.
“As a science center, we are excited about the opportunity to show visitors how modern medical technologies such as CT scans and forensic science help today’s archeologists and historians uncover the mysteries of ancient Egypt,” Sullivan said. The Exploreum has scheduled an IMAX film, “Mystery of the Nile,” to run during the Mummy exhibit. For information call 1-877-625-4FUN or visit www.exploreum.net.
Tuscumbia Trolley Tours
History buffs will enjoy the Tuscumbia Tuesday Evening Trolley Tours, hosted by the Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau (CCTCB) and Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. The tours take place for six consecutive Tuesday evenings May 23–June 27. Visitors can board the Tuscumbia Trolley at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Cold Water Books, and each week a different historic home will be featured, said Susann Hamlin, CCTCB executive director.
“Tuscumbia has over 100 pre-Civil War structures and many other historical residential and commercial buildings,” said Hamlin, who serves on the board of the landmarks foundation. “An interesting step-on guide will board the trolley to give the history of structures (mostly residences) located within a short drive. The tours appeal to individuals who have an interest in historic preservation, early American architecture and history.” For information call 1-800-344-0783 or visit www.colbertcountytourism.org.
The Westervelt-Warner Museum of American Art and Lodge
American artists such as James A. McNeill Whistler and Andrew Wyeth are featured in more than 400 art pieces collected by Jack W. Warner at the Westervelt-Warner Museum of American Art and Lodge in Tuscaloosa. “The museum houses the finest American art collection in the world from paintings, furniture, sculpture and decorative arts from the late 18th to the early 20th century,” said Jennifer Wilson, museum director of sales and marketing. “The collection weaves together a story of young America that is compelling and unforgettable.”
Also on display is silver fashioned by Paul Revere and furniture designed and made by Duncan Phyfe. “The collection includes portraits of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson for which the subjects actually sat,” Wilson said. According to her, Terry Stent, past chairman of the Smithsonian American Art Museum board of commissioners, was noted as saying, “Jack Warner has the best collection of American art in the world.” For information call 205-343-4540 or visit www.warnermuseum.org.
Southern Museum of Flight
At Birmingham’s Southern Museum of Flight, visitors can view one of two remaining Huff Daland crop dusters — the forerunners to Delta Airlines — and a life-size replica of the Wright Flyer, flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903. “This spring, the museum will present a series of ‘High Flying’ exhibits and programs, including a display of a World War II B-25 bomber cockpit recently raised from a lake in South Carolina,” said Deborah Stone, program coordinator for the museum. The exhibit will be on display Feb. 4–April 30.
The museum will also host its Wild Blue Yonder Air Rides & Classic Wheels Show April 15.
Amazing Model Aircraft Dioramas, selected from the museum’s large model collection, will be on display May 6–Aug. 31. Children and adults can bring their favorite model and show it off for an hour May 6 during the Show It Off Model Show and receive a museum model patch. The exhibit will include more than 100 models and a 12-foot-long model of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier, Stone said.
Visitors can also enjoy the Great Airplane Fair May 27, where there will be a variety of fun airplane activities for ages 3 and up. For information call 205-833-8226 or visit www.southernmuseumofflight.org.
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