First
Floor
1ST
FLOOR – EAST SIDE
As visitors ascend the marble stairs to the
1st Floor from the Atrium – or take
the elevator – they enter the Central
Gallery. This gallery is dedicated totally
to Science exhibits and always makes education
about the sciences fun.
At
this point, visitors can go to the east
or west side – this mini-tour starts
on the east side. Visitors will enter the
Asian
Gallery and be startled by a Chinese
palace guard, bedazzled by jade and ceramics,
mystified by Hindu statues, and intrigued
by Japanese masks…the discoveries
will be never-ending!
In
the next Gallery, Ancient
Civilizations,
visitors will never forget Nefer-ii-ne
the
resident Egyptian Mummy, the near perfect
Greek Kraters, the ancient Italian helmets,
terracotta oil lamps, and the lekythos.
Lekythos? What’s a lekythos?
Visitors
stepping into the African
Gallery will
feel the power
of the figures, sculptures and masks that
dominate this gallery. Their presence,
along
with the musical instruments, weapons,
baskets and Shona sculpture bring to
life the marvelous
cultures of Africa.
Perhaps
the most amazing exhibit in our Eurasian
Gallery are the hand-colored lithographs that make
up the Quest and Achievement of the Holy
Grail boldly displayed on the upper walls.
Also on exhibit are fascinating objects
- a drinking horn from Germany, stunning
amber from Latvia, Islamic tiles, and
an
exquisite crystal and silver horn vase
from Russia.
A
favorite, tucked away in the corner of
the
1st Floor, is the Armor
Gallery. It’s
not quite big enough for King Arthur and
his knights,
but you will surely get a tremendous feel
for their heavy wardrobe! Full suits of
armor, mail shirts and headpieces, weapons,
helmets and more. There is also a look
at
Judaica – don’t miss the gilded
silver Torah finials.
The
last gallery on the east side of the
1st
Floor is the Oceanic
Gallery, which contains
an amazing variety of objects representing
the peoples who inhabited the islands
of
the Pacific Ocean. Boomerangs, textiles,
sculptures, ceremonial adornments, masks,
shields, and even a split gong drum!
1ST FLOOR –
WEST SIDE
Visitors heading to the west side of the
1st Floor will experience the North
American Indian Gallery, one of the
most visited and popular galleries. Get
a feel for how the Iroquois, Plains, Navajo,
Sioux and other Native American nations
lived through this extensive and pristinely
preserved collection.
The Mexican,
Central & South American Gallery
presents a colorful and fascinating journey
into many Latin American cultures. Beautiful
Guatemalan textiles, eerie shrunken heads
and an exquisite beetle wing headdress from
Ecuador, a Pre-Columbian funeral urn, and
Inca water bottles are just the beginning.
Visitors will also be enchanted with objects
from Bolívia, Chile, Argentina and
many other Latin American countries.
Visitors will be delighted
when entering the Museum
History Gallery.
Levi Mengel, the founder of the Reading
Public Museum, gives the visitor a narrative
of the Museum’s history – yes,
Levi himself! Visitors will be awed
by the
life achievements of Mengel, all documented
in this gallery through eclectic memorabilia
and true stories.
Part of the wonder of the
Reading Public Museum is that it is three
Museums in one - art, civilization and science.
The Science Galleries on the west side of
the 1st Floor are a favorite for families.
Earth – A Timeless Tale Science Gallery focuses
the visitor on a trip through time starting
4.6 billion years ago! Dinosaur
fossils (including a local find featured
on the Discovery Channel), Hawaiian Volcanoes,
minerals and rocks are just the beginning
of this journey. The Berks
County Science Gallery will capture the
visitor
immediately with its array of taxidermy-mounted
animals most indigenous to Berks County.
Enjoy the interactive features of chirping
birds and hands-on microscopes. The visitor
will even see the now extinct taxidermy-mounted
passenger pigeon!
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