The museum focuses on innovation, technology, Great Lakes education, and conservation. It contains interactive exhibits, the Reiman Aquarium, and two theaters. Many of the exhibits have to do with Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or the Great Lakes. For example, the entire Great Lakes watershed, built to scale in the Great Lakes Future Exhibit, addresses freshwater issues, stewardship, and the human relationship with freshwater resources.
Robert Powrie Harland, Sr. founded Discovery World, initially known as the Science, Economics, and Technology Center. Plans for it appeared in the Milwaukee, WI Journal in 1981. The museum’s early location was the Milwaukee Public Library, inside the Wisconsin Ave. entrance of the library, and Paul Krajniak was director of exhibit development at the time. The museum featured hands-on exhibits, computerized simulations, and science shows.
Great Lakes Future
A model of the entire Great Lakes watershed built to scale addresses freshwater issues, stewardship, and the relationship between humans and freshwater resources. It also features an artificially induced weather event. With the push of a button, visitors can call for “rain” to fall upon this watershed, observing where the water flows and how run-off pollutants navigate the region. The perimeter of the exhibit features several tank habitats. Inhabitants include an Alligator Snapping Turtle, Tiger Salamanders, a Northern Spiny Softshell Turtle, an Ornate Box Turtle, a Three-Toed Box Turtle, a Blanding’s Turtle, a Red-eared Slider, North American Wood Turtle, a Corn Snake, a Bull Snake, Pumpkinseed, and Bluegill. Several ice-age and prehistoric animal skulls are found throughout the exhibit as well. Bed Bug Exterminator Milwaukee
Lake Michigan Tank
The Lake Michigan tank is a 75,000-gallon cold freshwater tank in the center of the aquarium. Dozens of other tanks follow a path around the exhibit. This tank is home to Lake and Shovelnose Sturgeon, Largemouth Bass, White and Black Crappie, Paddlefish, Northern Pike, Walleye, Freshwater Drums, Bowfin, Spotted, Longnose, and Shortnose Gar, Bigmouth and Smallmouth Buffalo, Channel Catfish, White Bass, and Common Carp, all of which are native to the Great Lakes. In addition, aquarists and interns conduct one cleaning dive a week to scrub algae manually. Up to four divers will perform this task for around one hour.
Great Lakes Fortune
A model of the entire Great Lakes watershed built to scale addresses freshwater issues, stewardship, and the relationship between humans and freshwater resources. It also features an artificially induced weather event. With the push of a button, visitors can call for “rain” to fall upon this watershed, observing where the water flows and how run-off pollutants navigate the region. The perimeter of the exhibit features several tank habitats. Inhabitants include an Alligator Snapping Turtle, Tiger Salamanders, a Northern Spiny Softshell Turtle, an Ornate Box Turtle, a Three-Toed Box Turtle, a Blanding’s Turtle, a Red-eared Slider, North American Wood Turtle, a Corn Snake, a Bull Snake, Pumpkinseed, and Bluegill. Several ice-age and prehistoric animal skulls are found throughout the exhibit as well.
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