Gateway Science Museum, California State University, Chico

📚 The Community Science Book Club is taking a break for August! They return on Saturday, September 5 at 11:00am in our Weibel Community Room for a lively discussion of the book: Eve by Cat Bohannon.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP via email to [email protected].

📖 Previous Book Club picks include:
- Still as Bright by Christopher Cokinos
- Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
- Turning to Stone by Marcia Bjornerud
- Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
- Why We Remember by Charan Ranganath
- California Against the Sea by Rosanna Xia

🦖 Did someone say dinosaurs are on the way? 💫

Mark your calendars because coming soon is Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed. In this new exhibit, see fossils belonging to giant creatures who once roamed the Earth, touch full dino skeletal replicas and unearth bones in dig boxes.

We are so excited to be welcoming dinosaurs to Gateway! Opening Friday, August 14. 🦕

Join our curiosity guides every Saturday in August as they lead fun, engaging activities. Free with admission!

💫 August 1: Nebula Spin - Create nebula themed artwork.

🌎🪐🌑 August 8: 3 Planet Stations - A three-part activity focused on planets.

🧬 August 15: Chemistry is Colorful - Solve a mystery with paper chromatography.

🚀 August 22: Stomp Rockets - Make and launch a rocket!

🔋 August 29: Build-a-Battery - Build a simple battery using chemistry.

✨ Exhibit changes coming soon ✨

🎨 A-MAZE-D closes this Saturday, August 1. Walk through this immersive art meets summer experience one last time this week during our open hours of Thursday - Saturday, 11:00am-4:00pm.

🦖 For the first time, we are welcoming dinosaurs to the museum!
On the way is Dinosaurs: Fossils Exposed. In this new exhibit, see fossils belonging to giant creatures who once roamed the Earth, touch full dino skeletal replicas and unearth bones in dig boxes — Opening Friday, August 14. 🦕

Thanks to California Climate Action Corps(CCAC) California Climate Action Corps , Gateway was able to welcome Jared, a Climate Resilience Fellow, as a volunteer to our team last year. We have been incredibly lucky to learn from Jared and share space with him. Here is a bit of what he had to say about the work he has been doing:

“As a Climate Resilience Fellow hosted at Chico State, I spend most of my service working with local community gardens and composting programs, including at Gateway Science Museum. I help plan the monthly Garden Volunteer Days, tend the garden beds, turn the compost, and generally help maintain the gardens. The gardens are fantastic to serve in, the staff are wonderful, and Gateway’s location is very convenient for on-campus service activities.
It’s always a highlight for me when I can bring produce in from the garden for others to enjoy, like fresh-picked herbs, tomatoes, or greens. I especially enjoyed making jam from the grapes last fall!

The accomplishment I’m most proud of is the refresh of the compost bins. When I first arrived at Gateway, the compost bins weren’t in active use, so it’s been great to get them going again and I’ve learned a lot along the way. We recently installed some shadecloth to provide better shade and access to the bins too!

Land stewardship is critically important because it intersects with so many of the things we care about and all the life we see around us. I’ve seen the difference even a relatively small garden can make, from producing food, to allowing kids to play, and even building community through service and connection with the outdoors. Caring for spaces like this creates opportunities for transformational experiences and recognizes that we have a role to play as a part of nature, not apart from it.”

CAClimateActionCorp

Nominate Gateway as "Best Museum" in this year's Best of Chico! 💫 The nomination period ends on July 31st with the final voting round starting in September. A huge thank you to our community for your support and participation — we hope to see you in the final round!

🏆 Follow the QR code for easy nominating.

🏆 Alternatively, you may visit
https://vote.chicobestof.com and follow these steps:
- Select “The Arts” Group
- Choose “Best Museum” Category
- Write in “Gateway Science Museum” as your nomination!

On Saturday, July 25, join us for a morning of caring for Gateway Gardens! 🌿 By volunteering, you’re helping keep these exhibits a beautiful place for our community and a thriving habitat for native plants and animals.

Please note the earlier start/end time for the summer season! Sign up via the OR code or here: docs.google.com/forms/d/1glAwNwoi0qdPxF1Vp_isiGyipzmxszv1glWdGuL_jSA/edit ☀️

Our curiosity guides are hosting one activity the whole month of July — a visitor favorite, Spirographs!
🌀 July 11
🌀 July 18
🌀 July 28

Activities are free with admission. 💫

(Please note there is no activity on July 4 due to the museum being closed for Independence Day.)

For 16 years, Jeanne has been a steady presence at Gateway, helping shape the organization from its earliest days as a volunteer on the exhibit committee to today as the Office Manager.

Reflecting on her years at Gateway, she shares: “I discovered how much stuff needs to happen behind the scenes to run a science museum and all the programs. We’ve gotten a little more streamlined over the years, but we still try new things to see what resonates with visitors.”

When asked what values or qualities have guided the way she supports both Gateway and her coworkers, she responded with: “I do my best to set a good example and understand that they are learning, as Chico State students and as humans, sometimes away from home for the first time. I can have a bit of a mom vibe, which I hope is a good thing. I always try to bring a sense of humor to work.”

And what keeps her motivated after 16 years? “I like being behind the scenes and making sure things are running as smoothly as they can... I think the balance of the known and unknown is what keeps me going.”

We at Gateway thank Jeanne for her dedication, leadership, and commitment to Gateway through every change and milestone.