Lifelike dinosaur puppets, a cocktail-and-violin series debut, and a guided walk through a coastal salt marsh headline five days of programming at the Bruce Museum this week, July 14–19.
Bruce Beginnings: Goodnight, Animals (Tuesday, July 14 – Wednesday, July 15)
Children ages 2.5 to 5 and their caregivers can explore diurnal and nocturnal animals through a picture-book story, a gallery tour of the Terrestrial Ecosystems Gallery, and a hands-on craft. Sessions run Tuesday, July 14, at 10–10:45 a.m. and 11–11:45 a.m., and Wednesday, July 15, at 3–3:45 p.m. The program is free with general admission; space is first-come, first-served. Check in at the Visitor Services desk.
Bruce Beginnings Junior: Moonlight Animals (Wednesday, July 15)
For the youngest visitors, ages 12 to 30 months, this 45-minute session at 10 a.m. uses song, movement, and sensory play to introduce nocturnal animals. Only 10 spots are available. Cost is $4 per child for members, $5 for non-members. Advance reservations are required.
Sips and Serenades: Cocktails & Classical Violin (Thursday, July 16)
Adults get their turn on Thursday, July 16, from 4 to 5 p.m. on the Bill and Fran Deutsch Family Patio. The Bruce Museum describes the event as the inaugural installment of a new series pairing live music with handcrafted cocktails. Violinists Kristen Young, director of performing arts at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Connecticut, and Emma Maini, a Juilliard Pre-College student and concertmaster at Young Artists Philharmonic, will perform. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members, according to the museum; general admission also applies. Reservations required.
Birding at the Bruce with Greenwich Audubon (Saturday, July 18)
Birders meet at the Visitor Services Desk at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 18, for a one-mile walk from Bruce Park Playground to the neighboring Oneida Sanctuary, one of Greenwich's only remaining coastal salt marshes. Expect to spot waterfowl, shorebirds, herons, and egrets along unpaved terrain. The walk is free and does not require museum admission, but RSVP is required as space is limited.
Family Day: Dinosaur Discovery (Sunday, July 19)
The week's longest program runs from 10:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 19. Highlights include two performances of the Dino Academy show featuring lifelike dinosaur puppets from Bright Star Theatre (10:15–11:15 a.m. and 1–2 p.m.; $5 per person for non-members, free for members; advance registration required), drop-in dinosaur crafts in the Cohen Education Wing, an outdoor Dinosaur Dig Pit on the museum grounds, a Dinosaur Book Nook in Art Gallery D, and a screening of The Land Before Time in collaboration with the Avon Theatre (11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m., first-come, first-served).
The Bruce Museum is at 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. For reservations and full details, visit brucemuseum.org/events or call 203-869-0376.
Coming up next week: Bruce Beginnings: Dinosaur Silhouettes on Tuesday, July 21, and Bruce Beginnings Junior: Dinos Sensory Play on Wednesday, July 22.
