Transcript:
Melea Haynes: [00:00:01] You are listening to the Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama podcast, part of the Destination Marketing Podcast network.
Welcome to this week's episode of Unexpected Adventures in North, Alabama. I feel like I learned something new with every episode, and I know today's episode will not be any different. Today, I have guest Joy Haynes here with me. Joy is the Marketing Coordinator at the Cook Museum. I'm excited to have her on this episode to learn more about this incredible museum. Welcome to the show, Joy.
Joy Haynes: [00:00:38] Thanks, Melea. It's pretty exciting to be here.
Melea Haynes: [00:00:40] Yeah. Well, I am so excited to get into this episode and learn more about the Cook Museum. But I want to start by learning a little more about you and your role at the Cook Museum and how you ended up there.
Joy Haynes: [00:00:50] I came to the Cook Museum about two and a half years ago as a graphic designer, and a year ago I became the Marketing Coordinator. I handle media inquiries, general advertising, and I just help spread the message about how amazing the Cook Museum is.
Melea Haynes: [00:01:06] That is so awesome. If you've ever seen any of the advertisements for the Cook Museum, Joy does a fantastic job. You're doing an amazing job at spreading that message.
Joy Haynes: [00:01:16] Thank you. We hope that most people have seen us or heard about us so far.
Melea Haynes: [00:01:21] Yes, absolutely. Well, to start, I want to dive deeper into the background of the Cook Museum. Can you explain to us a little more about when and how it started? Because it just celebrated a birthday, right?
Joy Haynes: [00:01:34] We did. We just turned three. But that's the new Cook Museum of Natural Science. Our history is actually a lot deeper than that. We go all the way back to John Cook, Sr. who was the owner and operator of Cook's Pest Control. Back in 1968, he first opened his insect collection to the public that he was using for training purposes with his employees. Then he added a lot of different rocks, minerals, fossils, and taxidermy wildlife to his collection. In the 80s, he was able to open Cook's Natural Science Museum. That was only a 5000-square-foot building. Now, since we have been able to reopen back in 2019, his original facility would fit inside of one of our events spaces. We have been able to grow exponentially so we can continue engaging, exciting, and educating those same visitors and hopefully entire community more.
Melea Haynes: [00:02:38] That is so cool. I remember as a kid going to the, we called it the Bug Museum when we were little. It was a field trip staple when I was in school.
Joy Haynes: [00:02:48] Yes. It's definitely been a favorite for field trips for lots of surrounding counties. I got to go when I was a kid, I actually got to go with my nieces and nephew before it closed in 2016. We still have a lot of those same taxidermy animals and pieces of his collection, but we've just continued to grow and add to it, as well as preserve what he already had.
Melea Haynes: [00:03:18] Yeah. That is so cool. That is so cool. Now, I know there are so many things to do inside the museum. Let's start with the live animals that are found there. Where are these animals found in the museum?
Joy Haynes: [00:03:30] These animals are mostly found in our discovery exhibit. There are several terrariums that we switch out on a regular basis, so that there are not always the same animals in there. We've got a live beehive that has access to the outside, so they're a growing, thriving beehive. We also have lots of amphibians and reptiles. We've got turtles and alligators. We've got the rare diamondback terrapin, also the rare Eastern indigo snake. Some of these animals will actually get to return to the wild after being on exhibit. Our alligators, once they are too big for our enclosure, they get to go back to alligator- or they get to go to alligator alley. We partner with UAB for our diamondback terrapins. We get hatchlings and raise them to a certain age, and then we send them back so they get to go back out into the wild as well.
Melea Haynes: [00:04:33] That is so cool. I love seeing those at the museum, seeing the little alligators swimming around and the little baby turtles are so adorable.
Joy Haynes: [00:04:43] Yeah, it's really important for us to not only educate people about these animals but also do our part to conserve these animals in the wild.
Melea Haynes: [00:04:53] Yeah. That is so cool. I love it. What other exhibits can you find in the Cook Museum?
Joy Haynes: [00:05:00] Well, you can visit just about every North American biome under our roof. We have an indoor cave. We've got an ocean exhibit with a 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. We have a space exhibit, with a meteorite that you can touch. We've got rivers and streams. We go all the way from the building blocks of basic life and science, to really see how those building blocks interact and form the natural world around us.
Melea Haynes: [00:05:34] That is so cool. I know that 15,000-gallon aquarium is amazing.
Joy Haynes: [00:05:39] Yes, you really are able to get a diverse view of the coral reef. We do have a live coral tank. We also have the moon jelly aquarium it's very relaxing.
Melea Haynes: [00:05:52] Yeah. Just sit there and watch them just float up and down there. I know. They say that aquariums do help with your stress level. I know whenever I watch the fish swim around; I could just stand there all day.
Joy Hayne: [00:06:09] They’re so peaceful. Even if they're moving quickly, they're just so graceful and lovely.
Melea Haynes: [00:06:14] Yeah, they're bright colors. So pretty. Well, cool. Now, we mentioned that we took field trips to the other Cooks Museum. What about field trips or parties at the new Cook Museum?
Joy Haynes: [00:06:30] We have field trips for all ages. We can do field trips for preschools; We can do field trips for senior centers. Just about anybody that has a group big enough or small enough, we can accommodate. We do birthday parties as well. You can invite all your friends, get to go to the museum, and have a private space to open your presents and eat some birthday cake. We do have classrooms for further learning experiences. We've got the Maker Space, Adventure Lab and the Salamander room. All of these are state-of-the-art learning spaces with lots of technology to further your education at the museum. Schools can pick exactly which education program they want to utilize while they're here. Our education department makes a wonderful curriculum that covers over 30 topics and meets state accreditation requirements.
Melea Haynes: [00:07:28] Okay, that is so cool. You’ll do a lot of educational things? That's awesome. What about some of the special programming that you’ll have? Like in the summertime, in spring, fall, things like that?
Joy Haynes: [00:07:40] Yeah, we definitely try to keep it interesting so our members will have something new to experience every time that they come. This summer, we will have something almost every single day of the week. We'll have a new program going. We've got weekly live animal presentations and science on the spots. But even when it's not summertime, we've got things going regularly. We have themed Fun Day throughout the year, that allows you to dig deeper into specific topics. We have our All About Birds Day coming up. We've also had Forces of Nature Fun Day and lots of other wonderful topics to explore. Our education department helps set up tables and interactives so you can really get a hands-on experience and learn more about these interesting topics.
Melea Haynes: [00:08:28] Do you’ll do home school classes as well?
Joy Haynes: [00:08:30] Yes. We have monthly home school classes following the fall and spring school calendars. We have classes for all ages, including our Little Larvae for two to four-year-olds, and then pre-K through 12th-grade classes for homeschoolers. A lot of times those do include dissections. Our education classes can cover so many different topics, I could start listing, but there are just too many.
Melea Haynes: [00:08:58] That's so neat though, that if you're homeschooled that you can still come and have these science lessons. That's amazing.
Joy Haynes: [00:09:05] Yeah. We really strive to be a science resource for the entire community, and home schools can really benefit from our classes and programming.
Melea Haynes: [00:09:16] Yeah, that is so neat. Now, I know that you all do some day camps like Aquarius for a Day or Entomologist for a day. Can you tell us a little bit about those?
Joy Haynes: [00:09:27] Yes, we offer these, for day camps, that give you an inside look at what it would be like if you worked at the Cook Museum. For our Aquarius for a Day, they do a shark dissection. There are Aquarius classes, you get to do a behind-the-scenes tour, there are individual workstations. Each one goes more in-depth on the specific topic, but they all have the same schedule of dissection and a behind-the-scenes tour, as well as the individual workstations. A lot of the local schools have incorporated this into field trips so 4th through 8th graders can come and see what it's like to possibly work at the museum someday.
Melea Haynes: [00:10:11] That is so cool. I would have loved to have had something like that when I was a kid. That would just be so neat, right? To go behind the scenes and see everything. That's really neat. Yeah. I know I'm a little bit too old to do an Aquarius for the day or Entomologists for the day. But if I wanted to get a similar experience, what can adults do at the museum to help out and get a behind-the-scenes experience?
Joy Haynes: [00:10:38] The best way for adults to enjoy the museum is through volunteering. We have tons of opportunities available to anyone 14 years old and older. We have behind-the-scenes opportunities, as well as in front of crowds and in front of people. We do have animal care, education and administrative opportunities. There's just about something for everybody. If you're interested in volunteering, you can talk to our volunteer coordinator at volunteer@cookmuseum.org.
Melea Haynes: [00:11:10] That is so cool. I love it. Okay. Now, this is always one question that people always have when they go and visit someplace, whether it's a town or an attraction. But where can we get something to eat if we come to the Cook Museum?
Joy Haynes: [00:11:26] Well, right downstairs we have the Cook Museum's Nature's Table Cafe. It's the only one in Alabama. They offer wraps, salads and sandwiches. My favorites are the acai bowls and the smoothies. You don't have to have a ticket to go to Nature's table; they're right inside our lobby. We do offer catering as well through Nature's Table. We can cater in-house or out-of-house. We deliver catering. We try to be as full service for your event needs as possible.
Melea Haynes: [00:12:02] Okay. Yeah, I hear the smoothies, they're pretty delicious. What's your favorite smoothie?
Joy Haynes: [00:12:07] My favorite is the kale and spinach smoothie. I know that doesn't sound exciting, but it's very filling and it's much sweeter than you would expect.
Melea Haynes: [00:12:18] I have tried that, just to say that I have tried that, and it is really good. It does have a little bit of a sweet taste to it. If you're thinking kale and spinach, no, it is actually quite tasty. But my favorite one is Purple Rain.
Joy Haynes: [00:12:35] Yeah, that's also a good one.
Melea Haynes: [00:12:36] Definitely.
Joy Haynes: [00:12:37] The kale and spinach smoothie, it's not in the name, but it does have mango and fruit juices.
Melea Haynes: [00:12:43] Yeah, you can definitely taste those flavors when you get that smoothie. It's delicious. All right, everyone loves a good souvenir to remember such a fun day. Where can we get the best Cook Museum souvenir?
Joy Haynes: [00:12:59] We have the museum store right in our lobby. You can get anything from little souvenirs to natural home décor, to big fluffy plush animals. It's wonderful for kids, but you're also going to find lots of unique gifts for moms, dads, grads, teachers.
Melea Haynes: [00:13:18] You also have a really good selection of STEM experiments and games and projects, things like that too, right?
Joy Haynes: [00:13:28] Yeah. Teachers or anybody that's looking to entertain kids is going to find lots of stuff that's going to keep them entertained, but also educated.
Melea Haynes: [00:13:36] Yeah, that is really cool. I love that you can come to Nature’sTable or the museum store even if you're not visiting the museum. It's a really good way to just go take a lunch break and browse around the museum store.
Joy Haynes: [00:13:51] Yeah, we have lots of people that walk over from other downtown companies and spend their lunch break, go browse the museum store for a little bit because you don't have to buy a ticket. You can just come walking right in.
Melea Haynes: [00:14:06] Yeah, that's cool. Now, speaking of buying tickets, do you have to buy a ticket in advance or can you just walk up and get a ticket? What's the best way to do that?
Joy Haynes: [00:14:16] We do offer online ticketing, but you don't have to buy them in advance. You can buy them at the front desk when you get here. Our online ticketing is timed ticketing. If you pick a time and you don't show up exactly on time, it's not a big deal. We'll let you in.
Melea Haynes: [00:14:32] Now, I know that memberships are very important to a museum. Tell us, what are some of the perks that you get as a member of the Cook Museum?
Joy Haynes: [00:14:45] In addition to unlimited free journal admission for a year, you do get discounts at nature's table and the museum store. You can get a $50 off birthday party packages. You also get invitations to exclusive member-only events like our Member Appreciation Day. You get priority registration on certain things such as classes and camps, and then you also get discounts on those camps.
Melea Haynes: [00:15:08] That is so cool. I know there are a lot of perks to being a member of the Cook Museum.
Joy Haynes: [00:15:14] Yeah, we know that you're going to want to come as much as you can.
Melea Haynes: [00:15:18] Yeah. You mentioned earlier, too, that there are all kinds of activities going on through every season so it makes it new and fresh every time you go. So that's really cool.
Joy Haynes: [00:15:29] Yeah. Not only are you going to learn something that you didn't see in the exhibits before, but you're also going to be able to experience something different with a science on the spot or maybe a live animal presentation.
Melea Haynes: [00:15:42] Yeah, that is really cool. Each week before our podcast, we ask our Facebook followers what question they would like answered. This week, our followers wanted to know what age is best for kids to begin coming to the museum.
Joy Haynes: [00:15:57] All ages are going to enjoy the museum. But I would say our sweet spot for really engaging kids is ages four to twelve. At four, they can start absorbing and understanding more about the actual science, and maybe before that they just start understanding how amazing life is. But they're really starting to understand more about the processes and the uniqueness and the biodiversity at four. I would say all ages, but four to twelve is our sweet spot.
Melea Haynes: [00:16:35] Okay. Well, that's really cool. All right. I have to ask you before we wrap this up, what is your favorite thing at the museum?
Joy Haynes: [00:16:46] That is hard, to pick just one favorite. Besides live turtles, because that's my favorite animal, would probably be the hollow sands table. It is kinetic sand that has a projector over the top, and you can build your own volcano or mountain and dig down and make rivers and valleys. The projector is projecting a biome on top of your creation. It's a lot of fun not only to play with it yourself but to watch others interact with it is really exciting.
Melea Haynes: [00:17:26] Yeah. That is so cool. It is a very popular thing at the museum, isn't it?
Joy Haynes: [00:17:30] Yes, it's definitely where most people spend their time and the kids come back and go back through so they can see the sand table again.
Melea Haynes: [00:17:41] That is so cool. Well, this episode was so much fun, and it makes me want to just skip out on work and go and play at the museum for the rest of the day. Thank you so much for joining me today, Joy. For our listeners out there, where can they find you on social media?
Joy Haynes: [00:17:59] We are Cook Museum of Natural Science on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Melea Haynes: [00:18:05] Great. North Alabama's social platforms are linked in the description. Thanks for joining us and we'll be back next time with more about Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama.
Joy Haynes: [00:18:16] Thank you so much, Melea. It was great to be here.
Melea Haynes: [00:18:23] This has been another episode of The Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama Podcast, part of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network, hosted by Melea Haynes and produced by Relic.
[End of transcript]
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