Mid-America places fourth in USA Today 10Best awards - Hot Springs Sentinel

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Mid-America places fourth in USA Today 10Best awards - Hot Springs Sentinel Posted: 29 Feb 2020 03:26 AM PST The public has named Mid-America Science Museum one of the best science museums in the country, placing it fourth on USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Twenty science museums from around the country were nominated by USA Today, and the public was allowed to vote to pick the top 10 for the list. "We are very moved by how much the community showed up to show support," Casey Wylie, director of education, said Friday, noting everyone at the museum was thankful to the people who took time out of their day to vote for the museum. Wylie said she already knew Mid-America was a top-notch museum prior to making the list. "I've had the opportunity to go to several museums around the country, both for work and personal. I already knew we were high caliber," she said, "but it's nice to get some confirmation." Jim Miller, director of marketing, said, "It shows that we not only have a lot of community support here in Hot Springs," but also from people "throughout the state and elsewhere." He noted that "out of 20 museums ... we got number four. That's another feather in our cap, we say 'Not just in top 10, we can say top four.'" Miller said the museum is also nominated for an Excellence in Arkansas Tourism Henry Award in the Natural State Community Development category for the Oaklawn Foundation DinoTrek. The winners of the Henry Awards will be announced at the 46th annual Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism in Fort Smith next week. Now that the museum has received some national recognition, Miller said they hope to add some state recognition next week at the conference. Wylie said they have made efforts to expand their offerings at the museum to attract more members of the community, such as after school programs and Toothapalooza. "Trying to expand beyond being just a place to visit," she said. Miller said he felt a large part of the museum's success has been the continued success of Hot Springs. Referencing the soon to open new exhibit hall at the museum, Miller said, "Things are only going to get bigger and better, and that's citywide I feel. Hot Springs is finally rebounding, it took years, but it's happening." The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio, placed first, with Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Ga., coming in second and Field museum in Chicago coming in third in the USA Today 10Best. Other Arkansas museums also received recognition, with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville placing second in the art museum list and fifth in the best free museum list. The Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, placed seventh in the best history museums list, and Museum of Discovery in Little Rock placed sixth in the children's museums list. Mid-America Science Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1-5 p.m. Sundays. From now until Thursday, those who bring in their voter stickers will be given free admission to the museum. Local on 02/29/2020

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