Aunt & Niece Bond and Find Adventure at the Witte
Naomi Gabriel and Clara Sankey, Witte Museum Members
Naomi Gabriel, who moved to Texas while in the Air Force, has been visiting the Witte for more than 20 years. Her niece, Clara, has been coming since she was a toddler—nearly every week, as she recalls, between the visits with her family and pre-K school field trips.
Q&A
What’s your favorite thing about being a Witte Museum member?
Clara likes being a member because it means we’ll visit more, get to spend more time at the museum and get to learn and play more. We both like early access for similar reasons. When we get an email about special events, like STEAM Sundays and new exhibits, we get tickets early.
Tell us one of your favorite Witte memories.
We couldn’t get enough of the Survival exhibit. I know Clara had some competition, but I’m guessing she was one of the most frequent visitors to the Adventure Zone Ropes Course and zip line. Also, the information on natural disaster preparedness in the exhibit is always useful.
How has being a member inspired you to help shape the future of Texas?
The permanent exhibits at the Witte inspire us to really see Texas—the flora, the fauna and the history—and to support conservation of our natural areas. The exhibits complement our love of the outdoors, camping and Texas State Parks. After learning about the ecosystems, we can head to Guadalupe River State Park and walk alongside (but not too close) deer and armadillos or to Government Canyon State Natural Area to see dinosaur tracks, to name just two of many nearby parks. The Witte is a great place to start your journey.
You’re active with attending STEAM Sundays – do you have any favorites?
That’s like picking your favorite child, bird species…or chemical element, but Clara says her favorite was extracting DNA from a strawberry and then taking that DNA home in a tiny test tube on a necklace. How many 12-year- olds can say they’ve extracted DNA? I thought making sourdough starter was fascinating. It was some happy sourdough and grew so rapidly. One Sunday we even did electroplating!
What tips do you have for new members to make the most of their Witte Museum membership?
Visit often and go to the special events, especially STEAM Sunday. The lessons are short—which is great if you have a busy schedule—but they’re impressively packed with activity and information (often connected to the special exhibits). We always take something home, and it’s an incredible value. The Witte team is amazing!
Do you have a great experience from the Witte that you’d like to share with other members? Email Membership@WitteMuseum.org for an opportunity to be featured in Tracks Magazine.
Witte Museum Members Magazine | Fall 2022
Photos courtesy of Naomi Gabriel and Clara Sankey.
