GMS Field Trip September 2021

GMS Field Trip
Tellus Science Museum, Cartersvile, Georgia
Thursday, September 16, 2021

On the 16th of September, 12 of our members met at Tellus Science Museum for a "behind the scenes" tour of the museum. Jose Santamaria, Executive Director of the museum, greeted us in the lobby and then led us on a two hour tour. He started with the history, going back to the Weinman Mineral Museum, and showed us pictures of the old museum and the property and the construction of what is now Tellus. The offices now occupy the old Weinman Mineral Museum.

He gave us a very interesting tour of the whole facility, and explained in detail the purpose and history of each section. The different classrooms and all the programs for school children were particularly fascinating.

We got to see every nook and cranny of the museum, with detailed explanations of purpose and function. We spent quite a bit of time in the storage and preparation room for the minerals and fossils. Jose explained that in addition to being a museum, they also act as a repository for all minerals of Georgia and the Southeast. In addition to specimens, the old records showing the location where they were found were intriguing. A large register from the Georgia Geological Survey going back to the 1800's is just cool.

We toured the grounds, the observatory, and the planetarium, and concluded the tour in their workshop. Jose invited everybody to enjoy the museum for the rest of the day, including a show in the planetarium.

Many thanks to Jose Santamaria and his staff for a most enjoyable day at TELLUS.

Juergen Poppelreuter
Field trip lead
On behalf of Charles Carter, Field Trip Chair
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