Playground on the Potomac

The Bell House

Incorporated on February 25, 1892, Colonial Beach, Virginia is the “Playground on the Potomac.” Its beautiful beaches and lavish waterfront property including its most famous structure The Alexander Graham Bell house, presently the Bell House Bed and Breakfast  located  on Irving Street, is a must see family destination.

Only a short drive from the well traveled Route 3 “Historic Corridor” that hosts attractions including Stratford Hall, George Washington’s Birthplace, Westmoreland State Park, Historic Downtown Fredericksburg, and The Museum at Colonial Beach.

Museum at Colonial Beach

The Colonial Beach Historical Society rescued an historical house from destruction and created the Museum at Colonial Beach to tell the town rich history through artifacts, photos and other exhibits.  The Museum is open to visitors from early April until the middle of December. The regular hours of operation are Saturdays and Sundays 1-4 pm and the second Friday of the month from 6-8 pm though private tours are available through appointment. Admission is free, but your generous donations help keep the doors open.

The Watermen's Room

The museum has much to offer including the Watermen’s Room, a permanent exhibit, dedicated by the founding members of the Historical Society to honor the generations of fishermen and oysterman who made their living on the waters around Colonial Beach. The surrounding waters are important to the area, so important in fact that the museums supporters reached out to Touch Tanks for Kids for help in purchasing a touch tank to demonstrate to local children and visitors alike how important the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and its sea creatures are to the continued prosperity of  the “Playground on the  Potomac”

Here is the email from The Museum at Colonial Beach curator, Shane Buzby, to Touch Tanks for Kids executive director, Mike Martin, explaining how the museum will secure the additional funding for their touch tank project and his subsequent post on the Touch Tanks for Kids Discussion Forum explaining how the touch tank will benefit the museum’s community.

SHANE M. BUZBY

Hello, my name is Shane Buzby. I am writing on behalf of The Museum at Colonial Beach Va. We are a small Beach town, located on the Potomac River in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Museum is devoted to the education of all people from children to adults. We firmly believe that a touch tank would be instrumental in the education and learning for our children especially. It would give the schoolchildren a chance to learn about nature and how to conserve our resources. We see this as a valuable asset to the Museum, which would provide field trips and special events around the touch tank. Being a small non-profit organization, we would rely on our memberships and donations to secure extra funding for any added costs. Thank you for your time. -Shane Buzby (curator)

Shane Buzby’s wonderful explanation of how a touch tank will enhance the Museum at Colonial Beach:

100 Years of the Colonial Beach School System

In today’s world, where children are more involved with television and video games, The Museum at Colonial Beach wants to reach out to the children and educate them with the utilization of a touch tank. The Museum at Colonial Beach Va, is dedicated to the education of our children, and what better way to promote education, but through a touch tank. Imagine the look in a child’s eyes as he/she touches a specimen form the touch tank, that they have only seen in a book or magazine. Being a small community, the museum is located within walking distance from the elementary school. This will enable the children to take multiple field trips to learn about our environment, the species that live in our waters, and to promote the conservation of the earth. I see a touch tank as the biggest educational tool available. Our Town is located on the Potomac River and thrives with numerous species of shellfish, crustaceans, and wildlife. The Museum wants to promote the preservation of these and the education of what these species are and how they feel and live. As our children seem less involved with nature, the museum wants to let them know what our world has to offer and through a touch tank, I feel that we can communicate with our children. After all, the children of today are the future of tomorrow.  Thank You – Shane Buzby (curator)

The Museum at Colonial Beach is doing a membership drive!!! Please go to their website http://www.museumatcolonialbeach.com , and become a member of the Museum Today. Your membership is what keeps the museum doors open and will help improve the decorum with an educational touch tank!

Join the discussion at the Touch Tanks for Kids Discussion Forum and let them know how they can improve the Touch Tanks for Kids Program.

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