Press

ALBANY, NY – “Life in the Winter” is the theme of the New York State Museum’s next Family Fun Weekend, January 19-20.

The Family Fun Weekend is held from 1 to 4 p.m. Activities are free of charge and most are held in and around Adirondack Hall, on the Museum’s first floor.

However, January’s event kicks off on Saturday morning with a guided snowshoe walk at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar. Participants must register by January 11 by calling Nicole at 474-0575. (The snowshoe walk will be held on Saturday only.)

Both afternoons, Museum visitors can participate in a winter-themed craft project andchildren will receive an activities packet to bring home. At 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., the Museum will open its Star Lab inflatable planetarium in the Carole F. Huxley Theater. The Star Lab will display the constellations that are typically visible at this time of year. The show is limited to 30 people, who must obtain a free ticket at the information desk in the lobby.

On Sunday only, at 2 p.m., Nancy Payne, a professional storyteller, will tell stories of life in the winter. A long time teacher, Payne appears in schools and also uses stories as a staff educator at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. She specializes in stories that center on life in the late 1800s.

Family Fun Weekends offer theme-based family activities once a month.

The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York StateEducation Department. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible.

Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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