museums

The Old Town Museum in Aarhus, Denmark has created a "House of Memories" that's an exact replica of a 1950s apartment. It's intended for Alzheimer's patients, whose memories may be triggered by the sights, sounds and smells from the period, researchers sa

Denmark's 'House Of Memories' Re-Creates 1950s For Alzheimer's Patients

12:36pm September 13, 2016

by Sidsel Overgaard

The apartment in a museum is a detailed reconstruction of a 1950s home, with all its smells, sounds and textures. Psychologists say it can spark memories for people with dementia.

Realistic-looking wooden pistols carved and painted by an inmate at the Walls Unit prison in Huntsville, Texas, in 1964. They were intended to be used in an escape attempt but were discovered by employees of the prison.

National

From Homemade Weapons To Inmate Art, An Inside Look At Life Behind Bars

11:09am September 06, 2016

by John Burnett

The Texas Prison Museum displays wooden guns that look real, shanks made from spoons and a chess set carved from soap. The item that gets the most attention? An electric chair nicknamed Old Sparky.

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Chewing gum believed to have been masticated by the notorious gangster John Dillinger, now on display at the History of Pharmacy Museum in Tucson, Ariz.

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Need A Fill Of Drugstore History? Try Tucson's Pharmacy Museum

12:04pm August 23, 2016

by Renee Montagne

The centerpiece of the History of Pharmacy Museum is a penny candy jar filled with old wads of gum allegedly chewed by the infamous gangster John Dillinger and stuck under a pharmacy counter.

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National

An Alabama Museum You Can Enjoy From The Driver's Seat

4:44am August 09, 2016

by NPR Staff

Artist Butch Anthony has created a drive-thru museum in Seale, Ala. On display is a collection of odd items, decorated and displayed inside shipping containers that vehicles drive between.

A 1955 Electrolux Model LX one of the more than 750 vacuum cleaners at the Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Mo. It was advertised as "The Cleaner You Never Have To Empty," says museum curator Tom Gasko, because the bag got pushed out the machine's door

National

In This Museum, It's OK If The Displays Collect Dust

9:40am August 04, 2016

by NPR Staff

The Vacuum Cleaner Museum in St. James, Mo., houses more than 750 vacuums, including some that date back to just after the Civil War. Curator Tom Gasko is a former door-to-door vacuum salesman.

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Alejandra Cartagena's photograph Fragmented Cities, Juarez #2 was the inspiration for Freeman's Cartagena vanilla ice cream and sorbet trio.

Copycake: When Food Art Ideas Get Swiped

2:29pm June 08, 2016

by Heidi Glenn

Caitlin Freeman made a name for herself selling modern art-inspired pastries at the SFMOMA. The museum's cafe just reopened with a new caterer — whose desserts look suspiciously familiar.

People walk up to the entrance to the new SFMOMA.

Too Much Technology Can Spoil Your Warhol Experience

11:08am May 17, 2016

by Laura Sydell

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has reopened after a three-year closure. Like a growing number of museums, it hopes new tech doesn't get in the way of looking at the art.

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W. H. Richards and A.H. Reffell built Eric in 1928. The Science Museum estimates it will take expert roboticist Giles Walker three months to reconstruct him.

London Museum Hopes To Reboot Eric, Britain's First Robot

6:41pm May 16, 2016

by NPR Staff

They have the technology. Now they need the money. The Science Museum has launched a Kickstarter campaign to rebuild Eric, who wowed audiences after he was created in 1928 — and then vanished.

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Heat lamps warm fresh pizza in the food line at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's Amazon Cafe in the Rainforest. The dining area has increased offerings of healthful foods such as salads, but pizza, fries and corn dogs remain popular choices among visitors.

Beyond Pizza And French Fries: Museums Eye More Healthful Menus

5:13pm February 18, 2016

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Bringing kids to a museum or zoo can be great — until lunchtime. Often those cafeterias offer few healthful food options, but there's a movement to change that.

Jawaharlal Nehru, here conferring with Mahatma Gandhi, was India's first prime minister and a key figure in the country's 20th century independence struggle.

In India, A Battle Brews Over A Museum Honoring A Revered Leader

8:02am September 16, 2015

by Julie McCarthy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to update the Nehru Memorial Museum, honoring India's first prime minister, to include his own achievements. Critics say it's an effort to undermine Nehru's legacy.

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