Program areas at Putnam Museum
Giant screen theater: the Putnam's giant screen theater offers educational and topical films and presentations. Examples include into america's wild, superpower dogs, back from the brink, volcanoes 3d, oceans: our blue planet 3d, and wild africa 3d. The films and presentations allow viewers to see nature in all its glory, to learn about history and other cultures, and to travel to all parts of the world. In an era when environmental awareness is part of the daily conversation and global cultures are increasingly interacting via technology, films that enlighten and educate the public about a variety of environments and cultures are significant to our ability to co-exist productively.
Visitor services: between the giant screen theater, exhibits, and educational programs, the Museum hosted more than 85,000 people this year. Customer service staff and amenities located in the Museum's grand lobby space support and enhance the overall visitor experience.
Exhibits and education: the Museum offers permanent and changing interactive, impressive exhibits, a hands-on Science Center, and educational programs related to history, cultures, and Science. Examples include anne frank exhibit, junkraft, pollinators and keva planks exhibits, an innovation Center with fabrication lab, coding classes, ocean experience, ancient egypt and our region and the civil war. Interaction with actual artifacts and educators in "character" provide dynamic learning experiences and real connections that cannot be obtained from textbooks or the internet. These experiences stimulate the desire for more knowledge and exploration.
Collections and curatorial services: an important part of the Museum's missions is preserving the community's history. The Museum houses approximately 170,000 cataloged items in its permanent collection. These items are expertly cared for, are available for research purposes, and many become part of permanent and temporary exhibits or are used to enhance educational programs. Membership services: the Museum has approximately 1,348 memberships ranging from individuals to families and businesses. These memberships encompass more than 4,500 people. Members enjoy special benefits such as the first glimpse of a new film or exhibit.