July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and the Canadian Museum of Nature is marking the moment in history with a number of events. Most of the events are aimed at older children who have an interest in science and/or astronomy. So if you have a child at home who may be interested in those areas I suggest marking these events on the calendar…they are coming up quick!

Moon Walking – A 50th Anniversary Talk

Thursday, July 18^th at 7pm

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen and Kate Howells of The Planetary Society sit down to talk all things space, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing. The free public talk and discussion will touch on Canada’s involvement in space exploration over the past half-century, as well as the future Lunar Gateway initiative, the first step of an ambitious new plan by NASA and International Space Station (ISS) partners, including Canada, to send humans deeper into space than ever before. Free. No reservations required. First-come, first-served. More information can be found here.

50th Anniversary Lunar Celebration

Saturday, July 20^th, 10am-4pm  

Meet museum scientists and learn about meteorites and outer space. See a real moon rock from the Apollo 17 lunar mission —the last time humans walked on the moon! At 12:40pm, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will give a brief presentation before joining a live video chat between David St-Jacques, who recently returned from the International Space Station, and former astronaut Bob Thirsk. Cost is included with admission. For more information see here.

“The Planets” BBC Earth Screening

Thursday, July 25^th, 6:45pm

Professor Brian Cox explores the dramatic lives of the eight majestic planets/worlds that make up our solar system. The screening coincides with the world première. In English, with French sub-titles. This is a free event No reservations required. First-come, first-served.

Other Exhibits for the Kids

The moon landing events are not the only things worth checking out at the Museum of Nature this summer. Have you been to see the new Pterosaur: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs exhibit yet? We visited with the kids just this past weekend and enjoyed it. Dinosaur fans of all ages will enjoy learning more about these flying predators.

You don’t need a ton of time in the exhibit – it’s not huge, but there are lots of different hands on activities the kids can enjoy including puzzles, quizzes, models and even dress up station. My kids especially enjoyed the station where they could move and flap their arms to make a pterosaur fly and hunt for food on a large screen.

The exhibit is free with a membership.

It’s also worth noting that the Butterflies in Flight exhibit was extended through the summer and there is still plenty of time to check it out, or visit again if you’ve already been. I highly recommend it! You get to walk amongst hundreds of live butterflies as they fly about and even land on you. It is a timed entry so it’s a good idea to buy tickets in advance to secure what time slot you want.