Savor Massachusetts can help you find artisan cheese like Lavender Bud from Westport’s Shy Brothers Farm.

 When looking for a delicious alternative to the usual tourist spots, check in first with “Savor Massachusetts,” a culinary tourism initiative coordinated by the state Department of Agricultural Resources.
 The Web site is a clearinghouse of what’s cooking across the state, whether it’s oysters in Wellfleet or wine in Westport. Want to find a back-roads farm offering fresh-baked goods, take a behind-the-scenes brewery tour, or pick your own corn? “Savor Massachusetts” details information on all sorts of good eats and regional delights.
 “We really look at culinary experiences unique to Massachusetts,” said Julie Grimaldi, Mass Agriculture’s Culinary Tourism Director. “When you think, ‘culinary tourism,’ a lot of that is eating good food in restaurants. But it’s also finding that clam shack at the shore, or eating maple sugar sprinkled on snow. We try and capture those things.”
 The initiative is an offshoot of the department’s agritourism efforts, she said. Several years ago, farmers – looking for sources of income aside from selling products to grocery brokers – began luring tourists to their farms by opening petting zoos, offering “U-Pick-It” programs, or opening restaurants or cafes that served their specialties.
 A great relationship was born. Farms stayed viable, while food connoisseurs enjoyed the personal touch of staying at a bed-and-breakfast farm or chatting up recipes with local farmers at open-air marketplaces. It’s educational, too – kids can see firsthand “where food comes from.”
 The latest trend is the “farm to table dinner,” where a top chef will visit a local farm and whip up a multi-course extravaganza. There are food festivals and roadside stands and maple sugarhouses serving stacks of steaming hot pancakes. Last summer, at least 16 farmers’ markets were listed in Bristol County alone. These and other eco-tourism activities – along with recipes, information on culinary educational offerings, and a downloadable Wine and Cheese Trail map – are all found on “Savor Massachusetts.”
 “This site is for people willing to get in a car and go traveling, see something new, and have a cider donut at the end,” Ms. Grimaldi said. “After all, everyone likes to eat!”
 Visit www.mass.gov/agr/markets/savor_massachusetts.htm.

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Central Rock Gym offers three rock-climbing experiences.

 When you walk into Central Rock Gym in Worcester, the first thing you’ll notice is your own size and how small you suddenly feel.
 The towering walls, dotted with colorful hand and foot holds, curve and soar like a sheer-faced mountain around the 14,000-square-foot gym. But the spongy floor under your feet gives you a greater feeling of security than any mountain ever will.
 Open since May, Central Rock Gym gives anyone from the merely curious to the training professional a chance to try some indoor rock climbing, with enough routes to accommodate all levels of experience.
 According to climbing coach and route setter Josh Larson, the sport appeals to anyone looking for a bit of a challenge or wanting to try something new. The gym offers family nights (climbers must be 5 or older), college nights and birthday parties where little ones can unleash their inner Spider-Man.
 Central Rock offers three types of climbing. Top rope climbing is done with two people, with one steadying the rope while the other climbs. Lead climbing allows professionals or those looking to train to climb all over the gym as they shift their rope from one attachment to another. In bouldering, there are no ropes, just bigger foot and hand holds to grab as you maneuver up and over sharply curved walls.
 If you are a beginner, you must take a one-time, $15 class to learn technique and safety skills and pass a test ensuring you know how to tie the appropriate knots for safe climbing. The class takes about 30 minutes and is offered several times a day.
 “Our motto is ‘Hang on, hang out,’” said Mr. Larson. “People will stay here for a few hours or all day. You can just stay until your arms give out.”
 Central Rock Gym, 299 Barber Ave., Worcester: (508) 852-7625, www.centralrockgym.com.

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A renovation has returned the Great Mammal Hall to its 19th-century splendor.

 The romance and adventure inherent in big game hunting may be so 19th century, but the bison, pangolins, alpacas and armadillos in Harvard’s Mammal Hall are looking fit and fine after a 21st-century makeover.
 Harvard’s Museum of Natural History is a wonderful little wisp of a museum, home to the world-famous glass flower collection, display cases stuffed with bright and chipper minerals, assorted dinosaur bones and fossils, and fun exhibits such as how animals communicate through skin color.
 It’s also caretaker to about 500 taxidermy animal specimens, from tiny hummingbirds to a hefty hippopotamus – the sort of “frozen zoo” so popular with pre-technology generations. Today, it’s prized by researchers for its supply of 100-plus year old DNA.
 Executive Director Elisabeth Werby said despite the ready supply of video and TV shows about the animal world, the museum’s collection is still a huge hit with people, particularly children.
 There’s something special about standing next to a 15-foot giraffe or staring into the eyes of an actual Tasmanian Devil.
 “You can look at our tiny bats – just how tiny is that? And you can see the colors, get a sense of mass, of muscle, of scale,” she said.
 Many of those creatures recently emerged from a six-month restoration, part of a renovation of the museum’s showcase space, Mammal Hall.
 Fur was vacuumed, eyeballs cleaned, cracking skin repaired. The entire room was painted a creamy white, old wooded shelving was replaced with elegant glass, LED lighting was installed.
 New placards reflect current scientific classification of species, and because of that, some mammals found themselves moved into new family groupings.
 The hall, returned to its 19th-century splendor, is a stylish display of nature’s extraordinary diversity, up close and beautifully lit.
 From the balcony, it’s an eerie experience to look one of the three whale skeletons in the eye, to see how the edges of its baleen has been turned back like a used toothbrush.
 Or to contemplate the sad expression on the chimpanzee, perhaps pondering the “critically endangered” status of his close-by cousin, a mountain gorilla.
Future projects will tackle other specimen exhibits, some still enclosed in dark, narrow cases (one poor elephant is backed into a sleeve of a space) or sporting archaic “science.”
 By 2011, the museum’s regal Alaskan moose, petite Virginia deer and Maine black bear will be showcased in a forest setting that speaks to the value of conservation, forest management and climate change.
 “All our visitors are fascinated by the specimens,” Ms. Werby said. “This museum helps people to open their eyes to the natural world around them, and you don’t have to be a scientist to love it here.”
 Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge: (617) 495-3045, www.hmnh.harvard.edu.

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Boston Park Plaza Hotel’s Swans Café hosts tea tastings in addition to its afternoon tea service.

 In 1773, the Sons of Liberty dumped British tea into the Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation, helping ignite the American Revolution.
 In response, King George III allegedly declared: “Let them drink coffee.”
 While Bostonians imbibe their fair share of java, today tea is back in fashion. Afternoon tea is a leisurely meal, typically including scones, finger sandwiches and an assortment of sweet treats.
 Conducive to relaxed conversation, afternoon tea offers a pleasant setting for a business meeting, and a delightful way to celebrate special occasions — including Valentine’s Day.
 The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel is plush and slightly masculine, with deep armchairs that would be at home in a private club.
 The street-side windows offer a lovely view of the Public Garden, and when the weather is cool, taking tea near the large fireplace couldn’t be cozier. The stellar food features creative twists on traditional tea delicacies.
 And keep a discreet eye out for celebrities; I once spotted Bob Dylan, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, having tea at the Bristol.
 At Swans Café at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, you can learn about tea while you drink it. With advance notice, a tea tasting can be arranged with Cynthia Gold, one of only a handful of tea sommeliers in the world.
 Ms. Gold spent time in China observing how tea is grown and prepared, and she is eager to share her knowledge, guiding patrons through a series of teas ranging from ethereal white tea to earthy puerh.
 Several menu items are made with tea, and Ms. Gold has also created unique tea-infused cocktails.
 Tucked away inside the Boston Public Library is a hidden sanctuary for tea lovers.
 The Courtyard Restaurant serves up a scrumptious afternoon tea in an atmosphere of refined elegance overlooking the serene Italianate courtyard at the heart of the library’s historic McKim building.
 And no one will mind if you read while you eat.
 The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St. Daily 3-4:15 p.m. Reservations: (617) 351-2037.
 Swans Café at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 64 Arlington St. Fri.-Sun. 3-5 p.m. Reservations: (617) 654-1906.
 The Courtyard Restaurant at the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St. Wed.-Fri. 2-4 p.m. Reservations: (617) 859-2251.

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Beth Marcus explains the finer points of brewing ales.

 Don’t those “make your own beer” kits sound fun? Before messing up the kitchen, take a tour of the Cape Cod Beer brewery in Hyannis – you might decide to leave brewing beer to the experts and make cookies instead.
 During the 90-minute tour run by Beth Marcus, business manager and co-owner of Cape Cod Beer, there’s talk about the art of roasting barley, how starch transforms into alcohol, and how one type of yeast provides the distinct taste of bananas and cloves.
 Brewmasters must differentiate tiny differences in bitterness, flavor and aroma in countless varieties of hops. Terms like gravity (nothing to do with falling apples), wort and mash tuns fly about as Ms. Marcus explains what makes color and where the liquor actually comes from.
 “There’s a whole lot of science that goes into the beer you’re drinking,” Ms. Marcus said. “I like to equate it to cooking. Most people don’t know the difference between store flour and King Arthur. With beer, most people can’t detect minute changes in color or taste – but we can. It’s a constant struggle – not just this year but this batch.”
 Rather than feel overwhelmed, the small clan of beer aficionados that took the tour one January day seemed fascinated by her talk, nodding, asking questions and eagerly holding up their cups for another sample.
 The microbrewery was open­ed six years ago by Beth’s husband, Todd Marcus, a professional brewer at the now-closed Highpoint Brewing Co. on Main Street. That first year he made the beer, packaged it, delivered it and sold it himself to 12 Cape customers.
 Today, the firm has eight full-time and three part-time employees and a recently expanded facility on Phinney’s Lane, and provides beer to 400 restaurants and package stores from Plymouth to Provincetown.
 Along with Todd’s original Cape Cod Red, a New England-style amber ale, the company’s menu includes the spicy India Pale Ale and the smooth Beach Blonde Ale, along with seasonal brew like Old Man Winter, Berry Merry Holiday Ale and Harvest Ale.
 Why does Cape Cod Beer make only ales and not lagers? Ah, to learn that answer, you have to take the free tour, which runs at 11 a.m. Tuesdays and 1 p.m. Saturdays.
 Cape Cod Beer, 1336 Phinney’s Lane, Hyannis: (508) 790-4200, www.capecod beer.com.

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Originally slated for a eight-week run, “Shear Madness” recently celebrated its 12,580th performance.

 When “Shear Madness” held its first show in the basement of Boston’s Charles Playhouse, not even Sherlock Holmes would have deduced that this comedic whodunit would become the longest-running play in American theater history.
 But, by Jove, it has! A special gala performance on Jan. 29 marked the show’s 12,580th performance – celebrating a 30-year run that has seen this unassuming little gem enter the record books alongside such theater legends as “Cats” and “The Fantasticks.”
 “It’s incredible – unbelievable,” said original writer, producer and actor Bruce Jordan. “Our original plan was to run eight weeks, and if that went well, try for 26, which would have made us the longest-running show in Boston at that time.”
 The decision by Mr. Jordan and co-producer Marilyn Abrams to buck Boston theater tradition by running through the summer of 1980 turned the struggling “Shear Madness” into a bona fide hit. Since then, millions of Bostonians have been brought to riotous tears as hairdressers and patrons of a Newbury Street salon try to solve the scissors-stabbing death of the concert pianist from upstairs.
 Mr. Jordan believes the play’s formula – a whodunit crossed with comedy, but with the freshness and vitality of improvisational theater – has led to its lasting charm. Like a Letterman opening monologue, jokes and wisecracks change daily in “Shear Madness,” written by the show’s cast and drawing heavily on newsworthy scandals in the Boston area.
 “Our motto is – ‘If it happened this morning, it’s in the show tonight’,” Mr. Jordan said.
 Equally appealing is the show’s “you be the judge” reality-element. On-stage characters discuss clues and evidence with audience members, who then get to choose the “guilty” party and determine the ever-changing ending of the play – leading to lots of unscripted fun.
 “We’ve probably had 10 engagements on stage. At intermission the phone on stage will ring, and we ask people at a nearby table to answer it,” Mr. Jordan said. “Once Tony (a character in the play) was asking a man in the audience how to make a chicken dish, and the man got frustrated, jumped on stage and said, ‘Oh, I’ll do it myself!’”
 In 30 years, who’s been “guilty” the most? Mr. Jordan said audiences often point the finger at the character that got the least laughs.
 “I’m thinking, I hope I’m never accused of a crime, because it’s got nothing to do with evidence,” he said. “It seems to be whether the audience likes you or not.”
 AAA members receive 25 percent off “Shear Madness” tickets when using the code “AAA.” For more information, visit www.shearmadness.com.

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The Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington boasts the impressive art collection of noted architect Theodate Pope Riddle.

 The collection of art housed at the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington is undoubtedly impressive. The paintings by Degas, Monet, and Whistler that adorn the walls here are worthy of the finest museums in the world.
 But original works by these and other legendary figures represent only a portion of museum’s allure – it is also deeply rooted in the setting and story – a 33,000-square- foot estate once the home of noted Connecticut architect and art-collector Theodate Pope Riddle.
 The estate, completed in 1901, illustrates the architectural skill of a woman ahead of her time. Partially inspired by George Washington’s Mount Vernon, every one of the many rooms in this charming Colonial Revival home was crafted with meticulous detail.
 Most strikingly apparent, however, is the family’s devotion to art. Theodate and her parents, for whom the Hill-Stead was constructed, were avid collectors. Having spent significant time traveling abroad, many of the pieces seen on display were personally acquired by the family from some of the world’s most famous artists.
 This passion underscored the basic theme for her blueprint – the art at the Hill-Stead would control the architecture of the home rather than the other way around.
 Among the most well-known works inside the museum are “Dancers in Pink” by Degas, “Grainstacks, in Bright Sunlight” by Monet, and “Symphony in Violet and Blue” by Whistler. Visitors are also free to roam the estate’s pristine 152 acre grounds.
 Whether your desire is a stroll through the garden or simply to enjoy the lush surrounding scenery outside, the Northern Connecticut landscape is a sight to behold.
 Included with admission is a one hour guided tour of the home. During the tour, guests will be treated to stories about the art and Theodate’s remarkable life – from her survival aboard the ill-fated Lusitania sea-liner to her lifelong commitment to Avon Old Farms, a school she founded and designed.
 For more information, visit www.hillstead.org.

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Learn how sap is collected.

 The warmer days and cold nights of New England’s early spring weather bring a special excitement to the region. Those temperature fluctuations herald the end of the long winter, but also force sap to run through maple trees commencing the area’s brief maple sugaring season.
 At Warren Farm, the Wentworth family looks forward to this time of year so they can share the sugaring experience with visitors. People come from all over to see the magic behind turning clear sap into that sweet golden syrup everyone loves on pancakes.
 Jan and Dale Wentworth have been collecting sap on their farm for 16 years, although the process today looks different from the nostalgic bucket-on-a-tree collection of years ago.
 These days, Warren Farm uses a network of tubing to gather gallons of sap, allowing for a closed system and a much less labor-intensive tapping process. Once the sap is collected, you might see the Wentworths boiling the sap down into syrup in the steamy, sweet-scented sugarhouse.
 The Wentworths use maple syrup in all sorts of ways, selling maple-infused mustards, dipping oils, and even barbeque sauce along with maple syrup and maple candy in their farm store.
 You can visit the farm to learn all about the history of sap collecting and experience new and old technology. Guided tours cost $5, and are held at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends through March 28.
 During the interactive tour, see how Colonists had to carry the heavy sap buckets and watch the sap sparkle in the sun as it runs through the tubing of modern technology. Everyone enjoys a taste of the syrup.
 “This is very family friendly,” said Ms. Wentworth. “Three generations can come together and have a good time.”
 The Warren Farm, 31 Warren St., North Brookfield: (508) 867-0174, www.the warrenfarm.com.

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Olympic ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto.

 If you weren’t able to travel to Vancouver for the Winter Games, you can still see the same Olympic figure-skating stars take the ice at a rink near you.
 This spring, watch the 2010 Olympic figure-skating competitors Tanith Belbin, Benjamin Agosto, Sasha Cohen and Evan Lysacek perform live in the “Smucker’s Stars on Ice” show at New England arenas in Boston, Providence and Bridgeport. Champion skaters Todd Eldredge and Michael Weiss will also perform.
 “Smucker’s Stars on Ice” was founded and produced by Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton, who you may remember from the 1984 Olympics.
 “After performing with the ‘Ice Capades,’ and being told male figure skaters don’t sell tickets, he founded his own show,” said “Smucker’s Stars on Ice” producer Byron Allen. “And it’s still here 24 years later.”
 The tour traditionally takes place in the winter, but because of the Olympics, dates were moved to the spring.
 “The Winter Games are going to make stars out of these skaters,” Mr. Allen said. “The idea is to bring the Olympics to you.”
 The theme is “The Concert,” and popular music will play throughout the show.  You can see it in Bridgeport at 7 p.m. April 20 at the Arena at Harbor Yard.
 AAA members can save 50 percent on tickets that are priced under $55. Just show your card at the Harbor Yard box office, or call (800) 745-3000 to save. The Boys & Girls Club of America will receive a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales.

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Learn from the experts at The Home Show.

 Aisles of useful information on home building and remodeling trends will fill the Rhode Island Convention Center during The Home Show.
 The largest and oldest home show in southern New England runs March 11 to 14. It will offer more than 300 exhibitors, how-to seminars, children’s entertainment and cooking demonstrations.
 Special seminars include “How to Hire a Contractor,” “Kitchen and Bathroom Trends,” “Green Building,” “Landscape Design” and “Use of Space: Interior Design.”
 The popular Rejuvenation Night returns for three nights: From 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, relax with free spa treatments from Renovo Heath and Wellness, taste wines from the vineyards of the Coastal Wine Trail and sample Cabot cheese and delectable chocolate treats.
 The award-winning chefs from Newport Restaurant Week return to the Home Show demonstration kitchen. Cooking demonstrations and recipe sampling from the kitchens of Newport and Bristol County restaurants will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
 Sunday is family fun day, when children ages 12 and younger will be admitted free.
 Kaleidoscope Theater returns with Saturday and Sunday performances of “The Magic of Story time,” an interactive presentation filled with songs, fables, fantasy, and fun. The princesses — including Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood — will be roaming the show floor to meet and greet children of all ages.
 Lon Cerel will entertain and amaze with his balloon creations and magic on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.
 Thursday is AAA Day at the Home Show. Bring the coupon on Page 18 of this issue and show your AAA card to save $4 on full-price adult admission. Throughout the rest of the show, use the coupon and show your AAA card to save $2 on full-price adult admission.
 On Thursday and Friday, save $2 on Convention Center garage parking by bringing your parking ticket to the Rhode Island Builders Association’s booth in the Exhibit Hall.
 The show runs from 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $3 for ages 6 to 12.
 For more information, visit ribahomeshow.com.

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A cotton-spinning machine is among the museum’s artifacts.

 A visit to Woonsocket’s Museum of Work and Culture is a journey not only into Rhode Island’s industrial past, but also into the city’s rich Québécois heritage.
 The museum is part of the historical sites and organizations that make up the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor. Created through a partnership between the City of Woonsocket and the Rhode Island Historical Society, it attempts to preserve artifacts of the textile industry that once dominated downtown Woonsocket and the culture created by that industry.
 “Whereas Slater Mill in Pawtucket preserves the actual mill setting, we’re focused on the lives of the workers,” said museum Co-Director Raymond Bacon. “Their story isn’t just about the mills: It’s about immigration, language, culture and the assimilation of a largely French Canadian population into American society.”
 Spread over two floors of a historic building near the Blackstone and River Island Park, the museum is full of interesting and eclectic artifacts, which are displayed alongside life-sized models, artistic recreations and interactive game stations. The first floor exhibits explore the transition from agrarian to industrial lifestyle experienced by Canadian farm workers recruited to staff Woonsocket mills.
 A replica of the façade of the Precious Blood Church leads into a small theater area, housing an early 20th-century mosaic donated by the Our Lady of Victories Church. Beyond, original textile machines, a manager’s desk and an authentic paymaster’s wallet depict daily life in the mills. Games and interactive displays are scattered throughout.
 A tour of the second floor begins with baseball memorabilia. “Playing in the mill leagues gave workers a sense of spirit, and mill owners took great pride in the success of their teams,” Mr. Bacon said. “For some, baseball was a way of assimilating: no matter where you came from, as long as you played baseball, you were an American.”
 Next is a recreation of a sitting room from a triple-decker, which will remind many of their mémère’s house; among the furnishings are a working Gramophone and a restored upright piano. A walk through the Slater Club and a bilingual parochial classroom leads visitors to Union Hall, a replica of the 1931 International Textile Union meeting hall.
 Throughout the museum, visitors can listen to recorded monologues and conversations. These range from an account of life in a tenement to treatises on child labor and mill management issues. Mr. Bacon wrote a number of these monologues; former mill workers or their descendants recorded others.
 “Many of our visitors really identify with these stories because they, or their family members, went through similar situations themselves,” Mr. Bacon said. “They were part of this history.”
 The museum receives many of its materials from local donors and maintains a public depository. Other artifacts come from the Rhode Island Historical Society.
 The Museum of Work and Culture, 42 South Main St., Woonsocket: (401) 769-9675, www.ci.woonsocket.ri.us/museum.htm.

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A bald eagle at Shepaug Dam in Connecticut.

 When you think of bald eagles, do you think of them living only in the vast wilderness of Colorado and Alaska?
 You may be surprised to know Connecticut has two of the best spots in the country to watch eagles in their winter habitat, along the Housatonic River at the Shepaug Dam Bald Eagle Observation Area in Southbury and on the Connecticut River aboard the RiverQuest.
 Braving a cold day last January, my family and I were among nearly 4,000 people that year to visit Shepaug Dam. Volunteers from The Nature Conservancy helped us spot a group of juvenile and adult bald eagles perched high in the treetops. As if on cue for our amusement, one swooped down to scoop up a large fish. That’s when we learned that the birds have an appealing winter habitat at the dam because the hydroelectric station’s operation prevents the water from freezing and supplies a ready food source of fish.
 Adventure-worthy travelers who enjoy the combination of sailing and wildlife-watching will love the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Ecotravel “Eagle Viewing Boat Tours.” Departing out of Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, the RiverQuest is staffed by naturalists who guide and educate travelers about the eagle population as it continues to rebound from near-extinction just a few years ago. Along the way, there are other types of birds and wildlife to spot, which makes the trip a unique experience every time you go.
 A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales help the bald eagle by supporting the Connecticut Audubon Society’s conservation, protection and educational programs. Don’t forget to dress warmly and bring your camera and binoculars for a close-up view. Heated cabins and outdoor decks for optimal viewing assure you will have the best seat in the house.
 Shepaug Dam Bald Eagle Observation Area is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday through mid-March. Admission is free, but reservations must be made in advance. Call (800) 368-8954 or visit www.firstlightpower.com or www.shepaugeagles.info.
 The RiverQuest’s Eagle Cruises depart at 10 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday; and 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. They run through March 21. Tickets cost $40. Call (860) 767-0660 or (800) 996-8747 or visit www.ctriverexpeditions.org.

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At the Spellman Museum, kids learn history through stamps.

 Most people today are more likely to send an e-mail than a letter to a friend, relative or potential employer. Yet, there is something about the good old Post Office that can still capture the imagination.
 The Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History in Weston taps into that collective appeal. Selected by Nickelodeon’s Web site as “One of the Three Best Museums for Children in the Boston Metro Area,” the museum is particularly appealing to the younger set, a surprise in this digital era.
 “Stamps fascinate children,” said Henry Lukas, the museum’s Education Director. “They get a kick at looking at the pictures, and it’s a great way to learn about history, geography and art.”
 On Feb. 18, the museum hosts a Happy Birthday Presidents family day. For the entire month, stamps featuring U.S. presidents will be on display, and activities will focus on this collection. Kids can put the presidents in chronological order, construct presidential biographies and participate in president scavenger hunts. They can decorate gift bags, mugs and other items with stamps.
 Adults will appreciate the breadth of the museum’s collection, which comprises an estimated 2 million items: U.S. stamps spanning the history of the postal service, stamps from many other nations, historic artifacts that relate to the development of the postal and telegraph system.
 “Our collection includes anything to do with sending the mail,” Mr. Lukas explained.
 Children and adults alike will enjoy visiting the museum’s official U.S. Post Office where they can buy stamps – even on Sundays – at a historic postmaster’s counter.
 The Museum is open noon to 5 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. Admission for children under 16 is free, and AAA members receive a discount.
 Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History, 235 Wellesley St., Weston: (781) 768-8367, www.spellman.org.

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Curious George’s creators were Cambridge residents.

 Curious George, that mischievous scalawag of book and PBS television fame, is swinging into the Boston Children’s Museum in a fun, new exhibit that’s all about learning.
 From Feb. 7 to June 6, “troublemakers” of all ages can indulge their inner monkey in “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious!”
 “The staying power of the Curious George stories is that he’s clever,” said Gail Ringer, the museum’s Vice President of Exhibits. “We find it delightful that he gets into scrapes, but figures things out on his own.”
There’s plenty here for kids to figure out – from puzzles to matching games to working with light and shadow. Familiar places from Curious George’s world – a city park, a construction site, a farm, a space rocket – provide colorful settings where kids can play with pulleys, putt a golf ball, weigh fruit in a sidewalk stand or experiment with windmills and whirligigs.
 Pre-schoolers will enjoy putting on a uniform or shopkeeper outfit and engaging in some imaginary role-playing, while elementary school-aged kids can design and build structures with the help of a giant, movable crane.
 “What’s great about this exhibit is the huge variety of things to do, to create and build, to climb and explore,” Ms. Ringer said. “It looks like playing, but there’s a lot of learning going on. Basically, the educational point of the exhibit is to develop science and engineering skills.”
 Included is a mini-museum of Curious George memorabilia that tells how authors H.A and Margret Rey escaped from Europe during World War II and came to create one of the most beloved children’s characters of all time.
In fact, Ms. Ringer said, people who knew Margret, a long-time Cambridge resident, say she shared a mischievous streak with her imaginary friend.
But curiosity can be a good thing, especially if it leads to learning and growing.
 “That’s the general idea of the exhibit – that Curious George learns by doing,” Ms. Ringer said. “He messes around, gets into a little trouble, but develops great problem solving skills along the way.”
 Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston: (617) 426-6500, www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org..

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In “Behind the Camera,” see the photo that Rockwell used for “Girl in the Mirror.”

 A young girl in a summery white dress sits in front of a mirror pondering more than her face — you can tell. Teenagers gather around a soda fountain flirting and pouting. A policeman and a little boy sit on lunch counter stools, conferring.
 “Girl in the Mirror.” “Soda Fountain.” “The Runaway.” We all know these instantly as Norman Rockwell illustrations.
 How come we remember them so vividly? How did he do it? How did he capture that moment?
 “Behind the Camera,” which runs through May 31 at the Norman Rockwell Museum, pairs familiar and some unfamiliar paintings with the reference photographs he carefully staged, revealing the artist as director.
 Rockwell was interested in showing the America he knew and observed, and he was a perfectionist.
 “Behind the Camera” illuminates the way he worked and developed.
By the mid-1930s he began posing friends, neighbors — and often himself — hamming and hiring photographers to shoot his compositions.
 Rockwell would scout locations, find props and choose the models, then position and direct everything — but a photographer snapped the shutter. Photographs freed him to focus on and offer up the fleeting movement, nuance, detail.
 In “Behind the Camera” a photo of the real girl looking into the mirror hangs below the painting. Sections cut from photos are pieced together on the wall beside “Soda Fountain” to show us Rockwell’s creative process.
“I love to tell stories in pictures,” Rockwell said.
 He did just that: told complete stories in a single image, and we still want to “read” those stories.
 “Norman Rockwell was a natural storyteller with an unerring eye for detail,” said Stephanie Plunkett, the museum’s Deputy Director. “This exhibition shows how that narrative instinct found its first expression in the artist’s meticulously composed photographs.”
 Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge: (413) 298-4100, visit www.nrm.org.

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Step inside the world, circa 1934, at the Mapparium.

 Like many avid travelers, I am fascinated by maps.
 Maps set me dreaming about future journeys, conjuring up enchanting images of places I’ve never been, or prompting happy memories of cities and countries I love. If you love maps as much as I do, please take note: Boston is home to the ultimate destination for cartophiles — the Mapparium.
 Enter this three-story stained-glass globe, and you find yourself standing at the center of the Earth. Constructed of 608 brilliant glass panels illuminated by more than 200 LED light fixtures that can produce up to 16 million colors, the Mapparium is as vivid and radiant as the windows in a medieval cathedral — and just as awe-inspiring. From the middle of the 30-foot acrylic bridge that spans the interior, you can see every part of our planet from the inside out.
 Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2010, the Mapparium was conceived and built in the midst of the Great Depression. Its design reflects the political realities of its time: Based on the 1934 Rand McNally world map, the Mapparium presents a world of empires that have since collapsed and disappeared.
 The Soviet Union sprawls across Eurasia, Germany extends into Eastern Europe, and Africa is a patchwork of European colonies. Compared with contemporary maps that take into account advances in cartography, the Mapparium’s scale also can be surprising; for example, Greenland looks as big as South America, yet in reality it is only one-eighth the continent’s size.
 The Mapparium is a historic artifact, but it is also a work of art, and there is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world. A visit includes a multimedia presentation, “A World of Ideas,” which uses light and color to shows how ideas have the power to connect people and change the shape of the world — including bringing down empires.
 Mapparium, Mary Baker Eddy Library, 200 Massachusetts Ave., Boston: (617) 450-7000, www.marybakereddylibrary.org.

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