Schenectady Museum

Infobox Museum
name = Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium


imagesize = 250
established =
location = 15 Nott Terrace Heights
Schenectady, New York, USA 12308
type = Science and technology; Regional
visitors =
director = Kerry Orlyk
website = http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/The Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium is a museum and planetarium located in Schenectady, New York. Its mission is "to inspire a sense of wonder about extraordinary scientific and technological developments: past, present, and future." [http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/01_info/01.htm Schenectady Museum > Suits-Bueche Planetarium : Museum Info ] ] The museum's Executive Director is Kerry Orlyk. Planetarium Manager is Steven LJ Russo and Assistant Planetarium Manager is Megan EN Dominguez. [ [http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/01_info/01_d.htm Schenectady Museum > Suits-Bueche Planetarium : Museum Info ] ] Most of its exhibits focus on science and technology.

Inside of the museum is the Suits-Bueche Planetarium. It contains a GOTO Chronos Star Machine, one of only 12 in the United States, which is capable of displaying 8,500 stars and 24 constellation outlines. The projector can show the sky from any location on Earth 100,000 years in the past or in the future. [http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/03_planetarium/03.htm Schenectady Museum > Suits-Bueche Planetarium : Suits-Bueche Planetarium ] ]

The Schenectady Museum also contains the International Technology Archives, formed in 1997 when the museum merged with the Hall of Electrical History. The archives contain over 1.5 million photographs, making them the seventh largest collection of photographs in the US (not including the federal government). The archives also include 110 radios, 60 televisions, 15,000 patents, 5000 books, and 1000 films. [http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/05_archives/images/did_you_know.pdf] Many of the items relate to the history of Schenectady and General Electric. The archives are open to the public Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. [ [http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/05_archives/05.htm Schenectady Museum > Suits-Bueche Planetarium : Archives & Research ] ]

Permanent exhibits

In addition to its temporary exhibitions, the museum houses the following permanent exhibits:

*Chemical Innovation: Developing the Essentials: An exhibit on how chemistry affects everyday life. It discusses products made by the SI Group, which sponsored the exhibit.
*Fueling the Future: An exhibit on different methods of powering automobiles, including biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, gasoline, and hydrogen. It includes a 1978 electric car prototype made by General Electric, a Schenectady company.
*Power House: An exhibit on the impact that scientific principles have on people's everyday lives. It features displays on nanotechnology, synthetic diamonds, and magnetism.

Source: [http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/02_exhibits/02_b.htm]

Hours and fees

The Schenectady Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is open on Mondays during school vacations and holidays. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for senior citizens, and $2.00 for children aged 5-12. Children under four are free. Planetarium shows cost $2.50 in addition to the admission fee. They are presented at 2:00 PM from Tuesday to Friday and at 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM, and 3:00 PM on weekends.

References

*http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/02_exhibits/02_b.htm

External links

* [http://www.schenectadymuseum.org/ Schenectady Museum] (official website)
* [http://www.look-to-the-skies.com/suits.htm Photographs of the Suits-Bueche Planetarium]
* [http://www.cyhaus.com/museum/ Photographs of the Schenectady Museum] (outdated)