What: NatureQuest
Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History
When: This new permanent exhibit opened in March 2011
Cost: Included in Admission $17. 50 adults, $16.50 students and seniors (62+) and $15.50 children 3 – 12
Photos: Visit Field Trips with Sue on Facebook for photos of the NatureQuest Exhibit

Fernbank Museum of Natural History has a new $8 million permanent exhibit called NatureQuest that is geared toward their younger guests and could be reason alone to become a member (so you can go again and again). The two hours we spent exploring the exhibit wasn’t enough for my kindergartner and I had to drag him away.

NatureQuest is a designed for children 2 through 10 as an interactive, educational, indoor play space with more than 100 interactive encounters including live animals. The exhibit features six diverse ecosystems : the ocean/estuary, swamp, pine flatwoods, forest, waterfall/river, and caves designed around a kids clubhouse.  There is literally something to discover in every nook and cranny. I love the water features, the mist waterfall, the river that ripples when you walk across it and the undersea shell puzzle. My boys liked climbing up inside the tree and developing new paths for the acorns to fall. This activity is similar to marble mazes, but uses PCP pipe with magnets and the kids create new paths on a metal wall.

Once you get used to the “big attractions,” you start seeing the more subtle discovery opportunities like the bats in the cave, the soil sample pulled from the ground or the numerous hiding places for pretend animals. Kids will love running, crawling, splashing (virtually) and discovering every nook and cranny using all their senses.

Parents looking for a more structured approach can pick up one of the exploration cards that explain each ecosystem and offer a checklist of what you’ll find. Adults can engage children with the fun facts or question and answers from the cards. There are also “ologist cards” that provide information on the exhibition through the eyes of different scientists, such as an archaeologist, geologist, zoologist, marine biologist, and others.

Atlanta Vacations

What: Fernbank Science Center (NOT Fernbank Museum of Natural History)
Where: 156 Heaton Park Dr. NE
When: Hours vary, see website
Cost: Admission is FREE, Planetarium Shows are $4 Adults, $3 Students and Seniors

If you are looking for a fun, free outing with kids, try the other Fernbank, the Fernbank Science Center. (not the Fernbank Museum of Natural History) If you haven’t been, or haven’t been in a long time, take a ride over, it’s a fun free afternoon.

Among the permanent exhibits in the exhibit hall are portrayals of the natural environment and vanishing habitats of Georgia, featuring mounted taxidermy specimens. Astronomy displays include Fernbank’s meteorite collection and an authentic Apollo spacecraft.

Outside guests can walk through the Fernbank Forest, a 65-acre old-growth forest representing one of the last remaining enclaves of the original Piedmont forest in the Southeast. The protected forest is home to many animal and plant species, including some species that cannot be found anywhere else in the metro Atlanta area.

In addition, there is a rose garden, a home composting demonstration site, rock and mineral walk and live chickens. The planetarium shows vary with the seasons.

This attraction definitely isn’t as flashy as the better known Fernbank Museum of Natural History, but there’s a lot to learn, the price is right, parking is free and it’s a relaxing afternoon adventure away from the crowds.

This morning was a busy one in studio at CBS Better Mornings Atlanta. Guests included Bo Bice, the former American Idol contestant and David Newell, aka Mr. McFeely of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame. It was an interesting mix of guests to say the least.

Bice was in town promoting the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Newell will be hosting a tribute to Fred Rogers tomorrow night at the Center for Puppetry Arts where he’ll share pictures, video clips – including bloopers – and stories of working with Fred Rogers. Tickets for the tribute are still available at www.puppet.org or by calling 404-873-3391. As part of the tribute, guests are asked to bring a new sweater to donate to the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive.

Amid all this, we mentioned a few other fun things to do in the coming weeks on the Field Trips with Sue segment including:

Swaptember Deals
Yellow Daisy Festival
Corn Maze Craze

Apple Picking in Georgia
Georgia State Parks Jr. Ranger Program
Fernbank Museum of Science

What: Dinosaur Birthday Bash
When: Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 10 – 2 pm
Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Cost: $15 for adults, $14 for students and seniors, $13 for children 3 – 12

Every child at some point goes through a dinosaur phase. If your little guy or gal is there right now, plan on attending the Dinosaur Birthday Bash at Fernbank Museum of Natural History this weekend. They have a stellar line up of entertainment, including two of my favorites, That Puppet Guy and The Bubbleman, plus another favorite – Bruster’s Real Ice Cream! Here is a complete list of activities:

Birthday Treats, courtesy of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Great Hall
Celebrate this special occasion with free treats provided by Bruster’s Real Ice Cream (Toco Hill and Decatur locations). Available while supplies last.

Special Appearance by Triton the Triceratops
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meet walk-around character Triton the Triceratops and take a photo with this friendly dinosaur.

Birthday Wishes
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Great Hall
Help create birthday wishes with special dinosaur stamps and coloring, and then share your birthday wish with the dinosaurs by adding your design to the giant present box.

Dinosaur Photo Opportunities
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Great Hall
Bring your camera for a variety of special dinosaur photo opportunities around the Museum, including pictures in in front of the Lophorhothons in the Dinosaur Entrance Plaza, in front of a Giganotosaurus skull and more

Dinosaur Birthday Craft
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Great Hall
Create a dinosaur birthday hat to wear at the party.

 “Dr. Dinosaur” Puppet Show by Lee Bryan, “That Puppet Guy”
11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. 3 p.m., Auditorium
Join Dr. Dinosaur on an exciting prehistoric expedition. (Limited seating; puppet show runs approximately 20 minutes.)

Georgia Bubbleman
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Enjoy an interactive demonstration with bubbles of all sizes, including bubbles inside other bubbles and bubbles ranging from tiny to some as big as the juvenile Lophorhothon in the Dinosaur Entrance Plaza.

Dinosaur Birthday Party Games
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Enjoy a variety of traditional birthday party games with a dinosaur theme, such as pin the tail, a giant crossword puzzle, and an egg balancing game.

Sidewalk Sale at the Museum Store
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sale continues through Sunday)
Don’t miss the opportunity to find great deals at the Museum Store’s Sidewalk Sale, featuring unique items at discounts up to 75% off.

If you missed this week’s Field Trips with Sue segment on CBS Better Mornings Atlanta, never fear. The segments featured the following:

Things to Do in Augusta, Ga. Beyond the Masters including:
Augusta Canal Intrpretive Center
Fort Discovery
Morris Museum of Art
Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry’s (March 23)
Free Rita’s Italian Ice (March 20)
Atlanta Opera Family Day
Places to birdwatch during National Wildlife Week
Buy One, Get One at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

If you’d like to see the actual clip, go to Better Mornings at CBS Atlanta.

What: Buy One Value Pass, Get One FREE
Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History
When: Offer Expires April 4, 2010 and is not valid on group tickets
Cost: Value passes are $23 for adults, $21 for students and seniors and $19 for children 12 and under.

Fernbank Museum is offering a great deal to see the museum and an IMAX movie. Buy One value pass (includes the museum and IMAX) and get one free. The freebie is on the lower priced ticket but for a family of 4, that’s half off! You need to mention the BOGO Offer when you purchase your tickets. I found this offer in the Fernbank Museum e-newsletter but can’t find it anywhere online, so you may want to call before you go to make sure the offer is still good.

The current traveling exhibit is about the forces of nature called Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters and has a corresponding IMAX show, Forces of Nature. There are several other IMAX shows playing too, so if you don’t want to see Forces Unleashed, check the listing and the show schedule to plan your trip.

Maybe it’s the cold weather, or the fact that my children didn’t go back to school until Wed., but I’ve been thinking a lot about the movies. Atlanta on the Cheap showcased a few cheap options recently. Below are four inexpensive ways to see a movie at the theatre.

What: The Picture Show at Merchants Walk
Where: Marietta, Ga.
When: See website for movies, dates and times
Cost: $1.75 or less

What: Cinemark Movies
Where: Fayetteville, Ga.
When: See website for movies, dates and times
Cost: $1.75 or less

What: A.M. Cinema
Where: Participating AMC Cinemas
When: Friday, Saturday, Sundays, and Holidays before 12 noon
Cost: $6

What: Wild Ocean  IMAX Movie
Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History
When: Jan. 15 – 24, 2010
Cost: FREE if you bring an old cell phone to recycle

This mornings Field Trips with Sue segment featured lots of upcoming freebies including:

• Target Free Day at Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta
• Free Admission times at the Center for Puppetry Arts Museum
• Free skate rental at the Centennial Olympic Park Ice Rink (this post will be up next week, so stay tuned)
• Bank of America’s Museums on Us Weekend featuring: Fernbank Museum of Natural History and Zoo Atlanta (we also talked about the FREE Zoo Atlanta family pass available at all Fulton County Library branches)
• Free admission day at the Braves Museum and Hall of Fame (this post will be up next week, so stay tuned)

You can view the CBS Better Mornings segments here.

What: Pirate Weekend
Where: Fernbank Museum of Natural History
When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 – 2 pm
Sunday, Nov. 8, 12 – 3 pm
Cost: FREE for Bank of America Customers, $15 adults, $13 children 3 – 12

It’s the first weekend of the month and that means it’s a Bank of America Museums on Us weekend. Museums on Us is a program that offers Bank of America customers free admission to museums across the country, including Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

This weekend is extra special because it’s a Pirate Weekend. I love pirates. I’ve had at least three pirate parties for the boys. There are great games you can play and I have a fabulous pirate ship cake recipe. This Saturday and Sunday, Fernbank Museum of Natural History is hosting their own pirate party in celebration of their new exhibit Gold.

This family fun theme includes a museum treasure hunt, pirate name games and special prizes for kids dressed like a pirate. In addition, the Georgia Bubbleman will be there. We saw him at Oakland’s Sunday in the Park and he was a huge hit.

Adults can get in on the fun during Friday’s Martini’s and IMAX Pirate Night on Friday, Nov. 6 from 5:30 – 10 pm.