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Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) Launches National Interactive Exhibition, to Explore the Legacy of Ancient Greece

Hi-Tech Educational Exhibition Created by CMOM with an International Panel of Scholars and Scientists, Features Exclusive Presentation of the Antikythera Mechanism, Known as the “World’s First Computer”

New York, NY, February 14, 2007 – The Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM), New York City’s leading cultural institution dedicated to kids and families, announced today that its groundbreaking Gods, Myths and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece exhibition will open to the public on May 25, 2007. Highlights of this exhibition include an “Odyssey experience” that takes children on a journey such through immersive environments as a 13 foot tall Trojan Horse, a Cyclops Cave and the Sirens’ Cove; a gymnasium setting where visitors test their athletic prowess in arm wresting and leg strength; computer programs to reconstruct the Temple to Zeus; and a working replica of the Antikythera Mechanism, a unique archaeological find believed to be the world’s oldest computer (ca. 150 BC).

The exhibition is the culmination of more than two years of research by the CMOM staff, including research with 8-10 year olds about how they want to learn about the past, and collaboration with five universities and the Greek government. Supported and lauded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a blue ribbon panel of scholars, and top Greek officials and researchers, Gods, Myths and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece will provide families with a vivid understanding of how the great achievements of ancient Greek culture are imbued throughout society, and how an understanding of philosophy and history prepares us for the challenges we face in the contemporary world. The 4,000 square foot exhibit will remain at CMOM for 18 months, before traveling to the Hellenic Museum in Chicago and embarking on a four-year national tour.

“By familiarizing ourselves with the culture and democratic ideals of ancient Greece, we gain a deeper appreciation for the political systems, social structures, and cultural attributes of the world we live in today” said Andrew Ackerman, Executive Director of CMOM. “Just as the ancient Greeks gave us some of the top intellectual, astronomical, and mathematical minds, CMOM’s exhibition gives children a profoundly transformative experience.”

“The City of New York is proud to support the Museum in their creation of innovative and interactive programming that gives children of all ages the opportunity to learn about and engage with ancient Greek culture and mythology, the cornerstone of modern civilization,” says Commissioner Kate Levin, Department of Cultural Affairs.

Nancy E. Rogers, Director of the Division of Public Programs National Endowment for the Humanities, believes this project “will offer an outstanding learning opportunity about a very important and fundamental component of western civilization. The humanities themes of Gods, Myths and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece are wonderfully developed, and the creative formats show great promise for engaging young visitors in important ideas and concepts about ancient Greece.”

The major themes of the exhibition and educational project include the relationship between the human and divine; rational inquiry of self and the world; transmission of values and ideals in ancient Greece; understanding how we learn about the past; and ancient Greek contributions to modern society, including the arts, democracy, history, and scientific thought and process. Gods, Myths and Mortals is comprised of four main sections, each an interactive, educational immersion into a key aspect of ancient Greek society and mythology.

• The Gods of Olympus: This section features a dramatic conversation among the great gods Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena, reminiscing about their powers and responsibilities, and speaking with pride about the accomplishments of the ancient Greeks who honored them. Images of ancient myths and the forces of nature flash across the screen. As these distinguished members of the Olympian family introduce ancient Greece, they reveal the many ways gods and mortals interacted. Visitors may take an on-screen personality quiz to discover which of the Olympian gods they are most like and are challenged to figure out the answers to riddles about the Olympian family of gods.
• Growing Up Greek: In the gymnasium, children arm wrestle using mechanical arms and test the strength of their legs as they learn about ancient jumpers. Children become familiar with the ancient Greek alphabet as they write words in Greek letters or transliterate message from ancient Greek to English. An animatronic Aristotle challenges them to a game of “Twenty Questions.” In the home section, children may engage in a virtual weaving contest with the goddess Athena, create a “textile” on a fixed vertical loom, or explore the steps of textile production—from sheep shearing to weaving — as they turn a “spindle” to see a video.
• The Odyssey: A Hero’s Journey: This third and largest section of the exhibition is based on Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Children are challenged to become the greatest of all Greek heroes and seek their own solutions to the trials faced by the hero on his epic journey home from Troy to his palace in Ithaka. Children follow a game path that winds through an immersive environment of rocky caves and open seas. Activities in the environment, such as the Trojan Horse climbing structure, the crawl-through Cyclops Cave, the Sirens Karaoke Cove, and the Homecoming board game in Odysseus’ palace, provide information that helps children play the Odyssey Game. Five computerized “Hero Stations” along the path challenge children with on-screen dilemmas and track their choices. At the end of the journey, the final Hero Station reveals a personalized on-screen Hero Record that can be emailed home.
• Discovering Greece: This final section of the exhibition brings visitors back to the present, and enables them to learn about ancient Greece and its impact on the modern world by investigating a mysterious object found on a shipwreck– the Antikythera Mechanism, a machine from approximately ca. 150 BC, that calculated planetary movements. It was the ancient Greek understanding of cause and effect (exemplified by the mechanism) that led to the development of the scientific method we use today. At a nearby interactive kiosk, visitors learn how modern technology is being used to unlock the mysteries of the Antikythera Mechanism – known in scientific circles as “the world’s first computer” – by operating a mechanical model (with 30 bronze dials and geared wheels) and learn how this Greek machine is altering our understanding of the history of science.

A 3-D version of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia offers another opportunity to introduce children to the processes involved in discovering, interpreting and reconstructing the past. A computer-based station allows visitors to assist a virtual archeologist through micro-games that teach about column construction, the pediment sculptures, or the giant statue of Zeus. Nearby, children can assemble a scale model of the Temple and learn about ancient construction techniques and the function of temples in ancient Greek society. Finally, a resource area encourages guests to explore how ancient Greece has influenced literature, entertainment, scientific thought and democratic decision-making.

Gods, Myths and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece is an undertaking that draws upon an international roster of scholars, educators, filmmakers, and computer experts. The History Channel is producing three original short videos for the exhibition; the University of Cincinnati is creating a computer program to enable children to construct the Temple of Zeus at Olympia; the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is loaning original artifacts; and the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project (Greece, UK, USA) is creating a working replica of the Antikythera Mechanism. The exhibition draws upon Brandeis University’s “The Examined Life” teacher training program and extensive research with children conducted at CMOM. It will also be accompanied by a full array of educational programs for families, school children and educators.

Gods, Myths and Mortals: Discover Ancient Greece
is sponsored in New York by American Express and supported by major grants from the City of New York, the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Greek Government Ministry of Culture, the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation, the John P. Calamos Foundation, the Jaharis Family Foundation and the History Channel. Additional support is provided by Olympic Airlines and the New York Council for the Humanities.

About The Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is New York City’s leading cultural institution dedicated solely to kids and families. CMOM inspires children and their families to learn about themselves and a culturally diverse world through unique interactive exhibitions. CMOM presents a full range of activities, exhibits, and special performances that stimulate children of all ages. Through multidimensional programs that reach deep into the community, the Museum serves New Yorkers from all backgrounds. For more information, please visit www.cmom.org or call 212.721.1223.

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm.