Gastonia’s
Model
Museum
Any community cun
build one like it —
if they have a ‘-Bud”
Schiele.
By
BAM Kit Oft WILLIAMS
Since its dedication in 1961. more
than 500,000 visitors have viewed the
upwards of 5,000 exhibits and displays
in the Schiele Museum of Natural His¬
tory at Gastonia. The visitors, many of
them students, represent all 50 states
and 43 foreign countries — including
such faraway places as Japan and
Australia. A Planetarium, added in
1967. is currently drawing an attend¬
ance of 25.000 persons each year.
There is no admission charge.
Among the 5,000 natural history
specimens on exhibit are mounted
birds, animals, fish, and reptiles —
including a four foot alligator captured
in Gaston County, doubtless a refugee
from coastal areas. Other exhibits in¬
clude insects, rocks, and minerals, fos¬
sils. botany, forestry, seashore life, and
American Indian antiquities. Num¬
bered among the mounted large ani¬
mals. rarely seen except in metropoli¬
tan museums, arc the American bison
(buffalo), elk, Dali sheep, panther,
grizzly, polar, and black bear, the Vir¬
ginia white tail deer, and many small
animals and birds from North Caro¬
lina and elsewhere.
All the many large animals and other
mounted subjects were obtained and
prepared by the Museum's director.
More thon 20,000 school children, in kinder-
gotten to college clots groups, «isit the museum
olong with J0-40,000 other children ond odults
coch yeor.
All the lorge onimols ond other mounted sub¬
jects were obtoined ond prepared by Bud Schiele,
who olso ser.es without poy os Director.
In 1965 cilixens ol Gostonio >oted to toke o*er
ond operate the museum in this enlarged build¬
ing. A nature Iroil is to be added.
THE STATE. February 15. 1970
