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November 2017
Michigan’s only museum-based dino dig lab opens this month!
exploreLAB at the Institute kicks off Thanksgiving weekend with its premiere experience, Dinosaurs and Fossils. Visitors will dig their way into the prehistoric world, discovering dinosaurs and fossils like a paleontologist, and learning what it takes to unearth and preserve these treasures. Located in the former Bat Zone building, exploreLAB is separated into two sections: The Dino Dig, featuring a floor level installation, designed for children of all ages, and The Paleo Portal featuring a lab and exploration setting geared toward elementary school age and above.

Tickets to exploreLAB will be offered on Saturdays at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm and Sundays at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Tickets are $5 for all non-members over age 2, $4 for standard members and $1 for all children 2 years and under. Purchase tickets at the front desk at the main entrance. Enhanced members enjoy free admission.
Give "Sweet Thanks" with Chocolate: The Exhibition
Indulge your taste buds this Thanksgiving with Cranbrook Institute of Science as we, in honor of our Chocolate exhibition, give “ Sweet Thanks .” Activities and displays feature not only chocolate, but other sweet gifts from nature including maple sugar, honey, cane sugar and molasses. Make your own sample of the ancient Mayan chocolate drink (it's spicy and frothy – nothing like what you would imagine!), explore the workings of a beehive, use a dichotomous key to identify jellybean “species,” and much more! All activities and events run from 11am – 4pm, November 22, 24 and 25. “ Sweet Thanks ” is free with Museum admission.

Chocolate: The Exhibition is presented by Flagstar Bank .
Join us Saturday, Nov. 11 for the Kicking Bear and Battle of Little Big Horn lecture
Native warriors involved in the Battle of Little Big Horn often created artistic records from their accounts of battles. Cranbrook Institute of Science is lucky enough to have one such work by Kicking Bear in its collection. Join us Saturday, November 11 when Colonel Rodney G. Thomas, U.S. Army, retired, who has spent years researching the battle and artwork created, personally examines Kicking Bear’s masterpiece, revealing hidden details of the battle and those involved.

Lecture and book signing tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Pre-registration is required. For more information, and to register, click here . 
Taste Ecuadorian chocolate in Michigan during day trip to Mindo Chocolate
Join us Saturday, Dec. 2 as we travel to Mindo Chocolate Makers in Dexter to indulge in Ecuadorian chocolate. The day begins at Cranbrook Institute of Science with a private tour of Chocolate: The Exhibition , followed by boarding a comfortable tour bus for a road trip to Mindo Chocolate, stopping along the way for brunch at Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor. Using a “bean to bar” approach, their chocolate making facility in Dexter is directly linked to an Ecuadorian Cacao Farm, building a reputation for scrumptious and superior handmade chocolate. Part of the tour includes a tasting and mini-class to grind nibs and start a batch of your own chocolate! The price is all-inclusive for transportation, brunch, and the tour.

The road trip takes place 8:30am-4:00pm. Tickets are $150 for members and $175 for non-members. Registration is required. To reserve your spot please call 248 645.3210 or visit our website . 
Curious kids wanted!
Young Scientists continues for kids who want to ask questions, make observations, share new discoveries and participate in hands-on activities. This month, young engineers are needed to solve problems and invent new things. Kids will have the opportunity to build bridges, design mazes, manipulate drawing robots, defy gravity, and so much more!

Engineering sessions take place Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Sign up for one, or all four – each session features different activities. Pre-registration is required. For session times, pricing and to register please call 248 645.3210 or visit our website .

Young Scientists runs through March 20, 2018. Check out our fall schedule and preview future sessions here . 
Gems, minerals and fossils
oh my!
In case you missed it, Cranbrook Institute of Science presented, for the first time, the 73 rd Annual Greater Detroit Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show last month at Macomb Community College. During the three day event, visitors caught glimpses of giant Megalodon jaws, donated by Cranbrook Institute of Science, rare and exotic minerals, handmade silver with natural specimens and a fully-mounted Ice Age Musk ox. The family-friendly event also featured a fossil dig box, and an opportunity to pan for gold in a life-like experience. The Michigan Mineralogical Society saw more than 5,000 people come through the show.

Next year’s event will be held October 12-14, 2018. For more information, please visit: www.michmin.org .
Give the gift of membership this holiday season
A gift membership to Cranbrook Institute Science is a great way to open the door to discovery, and share the world of science with family and friends. Yearly memberships range in price from $55 - $350, offering a wide array of benefits including, discounted or free admission to traveling exhibitions, the Planetarium, exploreLAB, Science Shop discounts, and discounted or free admission to more than 300 Museums nationwide.

Now through December 30, 2017: Save 25% on any enhanced level gift membership, or 20% on any standard level gift membership. For more information, please visit our website. 
Don't forget to stop by the Acheson Planetarium
November specials at the science shop
Celebrate National Candy Day on Saturday, Nov. 4 with a visit to the Science Shop and browse our selection of custom chocolates and chocolate-themed gifts. Members receive a double discount and non-members receive 10% off throughout the day.

Enter to win an oversized hippopotamus plush toy during the Thanksgiving break raffle, Nov. 24-26. One entry per person. Stop by the Science Shop for more details. 
Save the date! #GivingTuesday is November 28
Join the global giving movement by supporting a cause you love. As a non-profit, Cranbrook Institute of Science would appreciate any support you are able to provide. 
Free First Friday - November 3, 2017
Courtesy of the MASCO Foundation , Cranbrook Institute of Science is free after 5pm the first Friday of the month. Join us this month, Nov. 3, for the LAST free Friday of 2017! The Café and Observatory are open. Planetarium programs and admission to the Changing Exhibit Gallery are offered at an  additional charge .
Cranbrook Institute of Science | http://science.cranbrook.edu
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0801