Learning in a museum is more than fun
BEAT MUSEUM
One of the characters that fueled the anti-establishment legend of San Francisco was the writer Jack Kerouac , accompanied by the troupe of bohemians, artists and admirers who together with him formed the beat generation . It is almost inevitable that the place dedicated to worshiping his figure is not a typical museum. The permanent exhibition dedicated to the author of In the path and colleagues like Allen Ginsberg is based on freely donated memorabilia and is also found in the back of a store, in this case, one of second-hand books and records , waiting to find a larger space.
Although it may not need as much space because the environment seems the most appropriate, as is its location on Broadway Avenue, at the height of the neighborhood of North Beach . Nearby are the bars, authentic clubs, where the beats drowned their doubts and unknowns : the Café Vesuvio and the Caffe Trieste . The City Lights bookstore, owned by the Italian-born poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, stands out for its careful bibliographic selection, divided into categories such as “Green politics” or “Muckraking” , that journalistic genre that at the beginning of the 20th century was dedicated to denouncing the corruption of high political and business positions and that gave rise to the so-called investigation journalism.
Time flies strolling through its shelves, decorated with poetic verses by Ferlinghetti and posters of strikes and protests. Its managers also make a single exception to the hegemony of English and reserve a small section of titles written in Spanish.
Jack Kerouac poster in City Lights window
CHILDREN'S CREATIVITY MUSEUM
In the circuit of art museums in San Francisco you can not miss your own MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), but the view of the city is much broader. This space on Fourth Avenue, south of Market Street, is a technological and interactive approach to children's creativity. A place designed to stimulate in a rigorous and entertaining way imagination and critical thinking of children and educate their parents on how to guide this learning process. All organized by a local non-profit organization.
Here the visitor is anything but a passive spectator. Laboratories specialized in design, music or developing the community feeling and even Lego construction competitions take place in its halls. Many start-ups take advantage of this research center to "experiment" in the best sense of the term with children. They have come to organize test sessions where some of them test Apps about to go on the market. They spend a good time between tablets and computers and their participation is very well paid.
Say no to the passive spectator of a museum: participate
WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM
The idea of a museum dedicated to Walt Disney immediately leads us to imagine a more static version of his amusement parks, full of references to Mickey Mouse and Frozen . It does not happen that way in this center dedicated to the father of the Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge in Presidio , to the north of the city. Although it can be enjoyed with the family, this museum narrates one of the great stories of the great american dream , how well the many entrepreneurs who live around Silicon Valley can understand.
The exhibition focuses more on the biography and achievements of that brilliant business and creative mind that was Mr. Disney , illustrated with models, cartoons and many visual elements that can well entertain a child. In addition, its projection room selects from time to time a classic title from the oldest catalog of the factory. A good opportunity to enjoy on the big screen movies from the 1920s and 1950s which, in some cases, is not easy to find, not even on DVD. In the coming months Silly Symphonies (Silly Symphonies), a series of animated shorts from the 30s, or the essential Pinocchio and Fantasia.
The story of a great business
** ANTIQUE VIBRATOR MUSEUM **
If you like the Master of Sex series you will be interested in this place. In the museum of the old vibrator you can enjoy a historical approach to the always controversial and constrained female sexuality. He does it through a extensive collection of gadgets, some of them date back more than a century, when they were considered medical instruments that doctors used to induce orgasm in women diagnosed with what was then called "hysteria".
Its location couldn't be more suitable: it's located at the back of one of the branches of the local Good Vibrations chain of sex shops. To do this you have to move to the central neighborhood of Nob Hill , whose architecture maintains the Victorian air of some of these devices. Each month offers a free tour guided by teachers specialized in sexuality . A chronological journey with which to think that some of our great-grandmothers also knew how to have a good time.
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Pure history of sexuality