Head out on an atmospheric after-dark adventure
Do you have a child with a sense of wonder? A willingness to find out more? Then this half-term head to Twilight at the Museums for a feast of the intriguing, inspiring and knowledge-nourishing.
Once again, the team at University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden have come up with a packed programme for the latest instalment of the family evening of exploration, which takes place on 13 February from 4.30pm to 7.30pm. There are several museums and collections to visit after dark, in this free after-hours event.
With the lights turned down at all venues, pack a torch and experience neon navigation at All Saints Church, meet Arctic explorers at the Polar Museum, set out on a scientific mission across the Whipple Museum and crack codes at the Museum of Technology. There are events at Denny Abbey, Wisbech, St Ives and Newmarket for you to explore. Twilight What’s On programmes will be available from all the museums taking part for you to plan ahead. Here’s a rundown of some of what you can see…
www.museums.cam.ac.uk/twilight
Twighlight Highlights
Neon Navigation
All Saints Church, Jesus Lane
Find fluorescent figures using UV torches around the church, and make shapes with light boxes.
Can you keep a secret?
Museum of Cambridge with Cambridge Museum of Technology, Castle Street
Decipher codes that have been used to hide secrets and design a devilishly difficult cypher. Sessions at 4pm and 6pm.
Actions Alight
Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street
Pick up a Twilight Trail by illustrator Joe Lyward and explore the exhibition Actions: the Image of the World can be Different. Discover the new gallery after dark.
Fabulous Fossils and Where to Find Them
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Downing Street
Search among the shadows to spot ice age wonders. From fabulous fossils to marvellous minerals, find your favourite.
Eclipse Expedition
Whipple Museum
In the gloom join historic explorers and gather vital equipment as you travel across distant lands to
witness a strange a rare solar eclipse.
Meet the Explorers
The Polar Museum, Lensfield Road
Meet some of the characters that have made polar history. Meet Lady Jane Franklin, who spent years searching for her husband, lost in the arctic, plus Captain Scott and some modern polar explorers too.
Orchid Adventure
Botanic Garden, Brookside
Hunt for orchids after dark. Find out about the different parts of the plant, from spongy roots
to clever water storage.
A Kaleidoscope of Colour
Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street
How can colour change how you see things? Enjoy pigment demonstrations, musical performances, interactive play and dazzling projections.
Rocks, Fossils and Maps
University Library, West Road
Find out how the world beneath our feet used to be imagined by our ancestors. As well as the rocks, fossils and maps, explore the exhibition Landscapes Below.
Light Fantastic
Cambridge Science Centre
Discover the mysteries of light and colour, with exhibits and mini-demos in the dark.
Fenland Imps and Fairies
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Trails and crafts themed on magical beings of the Fens.
Keep an eye on the Cambridge University Museums’ Facebook and Twitter pages for updates
