Summer LIFE D WORDS BY KENT MILLER
A Mix of Summer Fun and Learning
Museums, planetarium entertain kids while enriching education
When the final bell rings signaling the end of another school year and summer begins to settle across Hunt County, many families begin searching for ways to keep their kids entertained without idling brains sliding entirely into vacation mode.
In and around Greenville, are educational attractions offering families a chance to mix summer fun with hands-on learning, local history and science exploration.
At the Audie Murphy / American Cotton Museum, history comes alive through exhibits that stretch far beyond its namesake.
The museum features extensive displays dedicated to Audie Leon Murphy – widely regarded as America’ s most decorated World War II soldier. Military artifacts and exhibits trace Murphy’ s life and wartime service, giving visitors a close look at one of Texas’ most celebrated veterans.
But the museum also explores the history that shaped Greenville and Hunt County during the era when cotton dominated the local economy. Families can stroll through a recreated turn-of-the-century streetscape, examine artifacts from daily life in early Northeast Texas and learn about Greenville’ s role as a major cotton center.
Among the museum’ s more unusual attractions are a wreath made from human hair, exhibits featuring the towering civic and giants once associated with Greenville and displays connecting seemingly unrelated artifacts such as a wooden leg and an autographed baseball signed by actress June Allyson.
Outside, visitors can tour the historic Ende Gillard House, considered the oldest home in Greenville and stop by the Hunt County War Memorial.
For more information on the museum, visit https:// tinyurl. com / 59djnxa5.
About 15 minutes away in Commerce,
children can take a far more hands-on approach to learning at the Northeast Texas Children ' s Museum.
Unlike traditional museums where visitors are often warned not to touch exhibits, the children’ s museum encourages interaction. Young visitors can explore exhibits designed to blend play with education, helping children learn through movement, creativity and experimentation.
The museum’ s exhibits focus on handson discovery, giving children opportunities to build, create and engage directly with the displays.
Since opening its doors in 2002, the museum has served numerous children from the state and beyond, providing opportunities for a playful learning experience. Exhibits and programs are ideal for children 2 to 10 but children of all ages are welcome
For more information on the children’ s museum, visit https:// www. netxcm. com /.
Also in Commerce, families can look skyward with the out-of-this-world help of the East Texas A & M University Planetarium.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA
The planetarium features an all-digital projection system housed inside a 40-foot dome theater. Reclining seats and immersive visuals allow audiences to experience simulations of deep space and astronomical phenomena in a theater environment designed to surround viewers with sights and sounds from beyond Earth.
For more than 20 years, the planetarium has served as a gateway to science and discovery for thousands of visitors each year across Northeast Texas.
Public shows are regularly scheduled on Friday evenings during the summer, with additional matinee programs and homeschool events offered throughout the season.
For more information on the East Texas A & M University Planetarium, visit https:// tinyurl. com / 3b79n3nf.
Parents hoping to balance summer entertainment with enrichment, these attractions offer opportunities for children to explore history, science and their imagination— and still feel like they’ re on vacation.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AUDIE MURPHY RESEARCH FOUNDATION
20 GREENVILLE LIFE