Mystery Museum
Decor and graphics
Below you can find resources and suggestions for decorating your space for the Mystery Museum. The goal of these recommendations is for you to recycle and repurpose as many decoration items that you already have as possible.
Recommendations for Families
The Mystery Museum has five themed exhibit areas: the Dinosaur Domain, the Hall of Inventions, the Medieval Europe Encounter, the Ancient China Area, and the Ancient Egypt Experience. You can recall exhibits like these from real museums you have been to or look them up online. Our hope is that you'll use whatever items you might already have around your house to make little mini-exhibits. Each exhibit could occupy its own room or space in your home. Here are some examples:
Dinosaur domain
Look around your house for dinosaur figurines or other similar toys. You may also have dinosaur books or even dino posters.
Hall of Inventions
Look around your house for toys or models like airplanes, trains, rockets, and submarines. You might even have some neat books or posters related to these things as well.
Medieval Europe Encounter
Look around your house for toy swords and shields. You might have figurines of castles, armor, or horses. You might also toy princesses, princes, queens, and kings.
Ancient China area
Look around your house for toys or figures related to china. You may have China-inspired wall hangings. You likely have some toy blocks that could be used to create a great wall.
Ancient Egypt Experience
Look around your house for toys or figures related to Egypt. You may have Egypt-inspired wall hangings. You likely have some toy blocks that could be used to create a great pyramid.
You can also find MANY free printable coloring pages online fitting these various themes. On top of that, your kids might want to create their own exhibit items out of plastic building blocks or good-old-fashioned cardboard and tape. Encourage your kids to be creative!
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In addition to the exhibit areas is the portrait gallery that is meant to hold the Esther, Mary, Deborah, Tabitha, and Miriam portraits.
Portrait Gallery
Recommendations for Churches
The Mystery Museum has five themed exhibit areas: the Dinosaur Domain, the Hall of Inventions, the Medieval Europe Encounter, the Ancient China Area, and the Ancient Egypt Experience. You can recall exhibits like these from real museums you have been to or look them up online. Under normal circumstances, you'd probably be looking for how to set up these decoration areas in your church. The Covid-19 pandemic does not leave us with normal circumstances. The following recommendations are meant to help you understand normal decorations for the mystery museum so that you can help families create their own exhibits at home. Our hope is that you'd use whatever items you might already have in storage at church to make mini-exhibits. Each exhibit would occupy its own room or space at your church. Here are some examples:
Dinosaur domain
Hall of Inventions
Medieval Europe Encounter
Ancient China area
Dig into your VBS and Christian Education storage to find past decorations themed around dinosaurs, paleontology, or other similar themes. Also check out what your families can find!
Dig into your VBS and Christian Education storage to find past decorations themed around inventions, outer space, or other similar themes. Also check out what your families can find!
Dig into your VBS and Christian Education storage to find past decorations themed around knights, castles, or other similar themes. Also check out what your families can find!
Dig into your VBS and Christian Education storage to find past decorations themed around China, the Great Wall, or other similar themes. Also check out what your families can find!
Ancient Egypt Experience
Dig into your VBS and Christian Education storage to find past decorations themed around Egypt, the exodus, or other similar themes. Also check out what your families can find!
You can also find MANY decorating ideas on pinterest for these areas. Focus on repurposing past decorations into new things. The key to decorating for the mystery museum is understanding that you're picking out the very best decorations for five different themes rather than seeking out as many ideas as you can find for one theme.
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In addition to the exhibit areas is the portrait gallery that is meant to hold the Esther, Mary, Deborah, Tabitha, and Miriam portraits. Under normal circumstances, this is the area in which the opening and closing skits would be performed as the portraits are even props in those skits.
Portrait Gallery
