Don’t be late for this very important date! Fernbank Museum of Natural History is hosting a Mad Hatter Tea Party on April 18, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in celebration of the special exhibition The Power of Poison. The event will feature characters inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, screenings of the classic Disney animated film Alice in Wonderland, a hands-on puppet factory, fun games and samples of iced tea.
- The tea party will include performances from The Imperial OPA Circus, including a stilt-walking Queen of Hearts, a ukulele-playing Alice, and a roaming Mad Hatter character, who will attend the party from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- The Center for Puppetry Arts will host a Puppet Factory, where visitors can create their own frog puppet inspired by The Power of Poison exhibition.
- Screenings of the 1951 Disney classic Alice in Wonderland will combine entertaining elements of the children’s book in the animated film as Alice falls down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy alternate world of Wonderland. Screenings will be held at 10:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Auditorium.
- Other activities include games of Tic-Tac-Toe using Poison Apples and Poison Dart Frogs.
- This southern take on the tea party will also include samples of iced tea for guests, while supplies last.
The Power of Poison exhibition explores the story of natural poisons from the pages of fairytales to the journals of modern medicine. This interactive investigation helps uncover the secrets of poison while exploring its role in nature, myth and human health. Engaging and immersive environments, including a rainforest, life-sized pages of fairytales and literature, and a magic botany book bring science to life through the use of interactives, models, multimedia and live animals.
Countless fairy tales and legends from around the world include tales of illness, enchantment, and death caused by poisons. Some of the most unlikely tales often contain a kernel of truth. One of the many discoveries of the exhibition is the origin of the phrase “mad as a hatter,” which reveals the potent ingredient of the hat-making trade that can cause mental confusion and which likely inspired the Mad Hatter character from Alice in Wonderland.
In the classic children’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice encounters a tea party hosted by a nonsensical and irritable hat maker. Convinced that time is stuck at 6 p.m., the Hatter presides over a never-ending tea party. Author Lewis Carroll had a fantastical imagination. But the hatter character had a basis in reality: many hat makers did behave strangely, leading to the term “mad as a hatter.” What caused their odd behavior? Some hat makers in the 1700s through the early 1900s really did behave as if insane or “mad.” Long-term exposure to mercuric nitrate, a poisonous compound used in hat making, could cause symptoms such as tremors and extreme irritability.
The Mad Hatter Tea Party will take place at Fernbank Museum of Natural History on Saturday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All activities are included with Museum admission, which also includes admission to The Power of Poison exhibition.
TICKETS
Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for students and seniors, $16 for children ages 3 to 12, free for museum members, and free for children ages 2 and younger. Visitors looking for tickets to multiple arts and culture venues for up to 50% off can also purchase CityPASS tickets from Fernbank. All tickets can be purchased online at fernbankmuseum.org and by phone at 404.929.6400.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is located at 767 Clifton Road NE in Atlanta. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
