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Voyage of Discovery
The main design for the gallery is that of a ship – and
what a ship!
This is no ordinary Great Lakes vessel – this is the R.V.
Voyageur, a fully outfitted discovery ship, complete with
all the tools required to explore and discover the wonders of
the Great Lakes. Navigating the lakes on board the Voyageur
creates a memorable experience, combining elements of learning
and play as visitors investigate the Great Lakes. The design of
the gallery is not too literal – rather it suggests a ship
of discovery, with nautical features setting the tone.
The ship is inspired by the research missions of Darwin, Shackleton,
Cousteau, Blasco and others. On board are not just the tools,
but also the expertise required to collect and analyze the many
different types of information required to build a more complete
understanding of the Great Lakes.
Visitors will see the lakes through the eyes and tools of the
Scientist, Historian, Artist, and Planner, each situated in a
specially outfitted 'cabin'.
Voyage of Discovery exhibits include:
- Bridge – visitors discover that the
Great Lakes Basin is a huge, inter-connected system. They explore
the physical character of each of the lakes, while finding out
about the relationship between the watershed and the airshed
(atmosphere).
- Historian’s Cabin – visitors
learn about the natural and cultural heritage of the Great Lakes.
- Build an Ecosystem – visitors can
interact with the many elements involved in an ecosystem.
- Scientist’s Cabin – visitors
explore the science and technology used to exploit and protect
the Great Lakes.
- Artist’s Cabin – visitors view
artist’s works and create their own art around a Great
Lakes theme.
- Hamilton Harbour – In the Hamilton
Harbour exhibit area, visitors will feel as if they are on the
deck of the ship, looking out over the harbour itself. Here,
they explore the history of the harbour, the historical disconnect
and emerging reconnection of people to the waterfront, and the
work to restore the harbour and keep it healthy for the future.
The issues that affect Hamilton Harbour serve to illuminate
issues that affect the Great Lakes as a whole.
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