Homemade display case showing rocks from Minnesota's North Shore

Make your own museum

social scienceKC Miller, Experience DeveloperApr 29, 2020

As an experience developer at the Science Museum of Minnesota, I get to work with an incredible team and help create exhibits and activities about a lot of different topics. It’s fun to be able to research all kinds of science subjects and then present them in ways that are enjoyable and engaging. But I shouldn’t have all the fun—you can create exhibits, too!

Maybe you have a collection of natural objects (or you can start one on your next nature walk), or art pieces, or toys that are just begging to be displayed. Whatever your collection is, you can use simple materials from around your house to display them. The basic steps you will need to take are:

  1. Pick a theme for your museum.

  2. Assemble the objects you will display.

  3. A big part of what makes developing an exhibit so fun is learning a lot about the topic, so don’t forget to do some research and include labels in your museum!

  4. Find a space to display your objects. Think about how long you would like to have your display up when picking a space. Remember that if your display is in a high-traffic area (like the kitchen) you may not be able to have your display up for very long!

  5. Decide how you will display your objects. Do you need boxes to raise your objects off the floor? Do you need to hang pictures or photos?

The image below is an example of what I put together from my collection of North Shore treasures. Yours could be a similarly simple display, or it could be something more elaborate. You’re only limited by your imagination!

Once you’ve created your display, take a picture and share it on social media using #ShareYourDiscovery. We’d love to see what you make! Plus, if your collection consists of natural specimens, you can bring them to the Collectors' Corner when the Science Museum opens again and earn points for the information you’ve learned about them!

Happy exhibiting!