300 HANDS-ON MYSTERY OBJECTS!
What are these objects anyhow? What do then do?  Hands-on mystery objects that you can handle and touch will challenge your thinking at the  annual Mystery Objects event, in historic downtown Burlington, Wisconsin at the Logic Puzzle Museum.  “You can pick the objects up, really look at them, turn them about, and try to figure out what these odd and unusual items are this is “Do Touch” event, hands-on exhibit,” said Judith Schulz, museum director. “Be a history detective, a weekend anthropologist, or an armchair engineer at this funny event where fun is mixed with thinking,” added Schulz.
  

Antique tools, odd toys, parts, pieces, kitchen devices, novelties, foreign objects, curiosities, and more are ready to be examined by visitors.  Serious or funny clues are posted by many of the items.  “Sometimes the clues help and sometimes they don’t,” according to Jo Ann Toelle, volunteer; “Laughter and puzzle solving fun is everywhere at this event. There are even things we don’t even know what they are!”

Hours are posted on the website.

 Past events have also included

             Special weekend demonstrations include something to do with a potato, something found 60 feet up in the air, an unusual object from the Middle East, an item from a Wisconsin church, a device to do with chocolate, a children’s toy, and a dangerous lighting object.

 Another feature at the event is called “Objects in the Box!” which is a game with hidden objects in a box for visitors to challenge each other in discovering what is really in the box by only asking questions. This is presented periodically each day.

           Who enjoys this? Families, grown-up kids, armchair engineers, history detectives, weekend anthropologists, budding mechanics, history buffs, antique collectors, and gadget collectors will all be here picking up the objects, turning parts, sliding pieces, and wrinkling their brow on their way to “aha!”  School field trips, church groups, clubs, red-hat ladies, antique collectors, scientists, engineers, mechanics, families, troops, day cares, senior groups and others have enjoyed the past events.

Curiosities and Novelties from the 1900’s, is the special presentation  given my expert collector and author Stan Timm. His collection includes rare Johnson Smith Catalog and Fishlove and Co. novelties and catalogs of the 1920’s and 1930’s as well as mid-century oddities. This collection has been written about in national magazines and newspapers in two countries.

“Milwaukee’s Channel 6 Television has covered the Mystery Objects event with a reporter and photographer for their evening news, and soon, they too got very involved in trying to figure out the objects,” said Schulz. The Chicago Tribune’s Midwest Events also recommends this event to their readers.  “Mystery Objects” also travels to schools as well.

         The non-profit, educational museum’s gift shop will be open during the event with many curious toys and novelties for sale that day so you can carry on the tradition of this classic fun.

“Mystery Objects: Whatchamacallits” is at 533 Milwaukee Av, downtown historic Burlington. Parking is free; event admission is per person, all ages (event is for ages 5-105 only) and groups of 25 may purchase advance tickets at a discount.  Children must be with an adult.    Large groups of 25 or more may arrange for evening hours if they wish.

            The non-profit, educational organization sponsors the event to promote thinking, history, problem & puzzle solving, and interest in inventions & inventiveness; plus a time for family and inter-generational activity.

             Interested sponsors are welcome. Businesses may wish to purchase a quantity of tickets to give away, which promotes goodwill and helps to support the event at the same time.

            Call (262) 763-3946 for any information or visit the website  www.logicpuzzlemuseum.org