Stories from the Vaults

Ever wondered what's hiding behind the scenes of America s most renowned museum complex? Find out as host Tom Cavanagh (Eli Stone, Ed) takes viewers beyond the exhibit halls on an insider's tour of the private rooms, high-tech vaults and cutting edge labs of the Smithsonian Institution, revealing some of the amazing artifacts and rarely seen treasures that visitors can t see! Boasting more than 342,000 square feet of storage space and more than 31 million items in just one of their facilities... some of the oldest and weirdest artifacts are housed here!

In each episode of Stories From the Vaults, the Smithsonian's curators, experts and scientists open their collections and share their distinctive passions by presenting their most prized, surprising or enlightening artifacts, relics or specimens standouts among the 100 million or so items in the Smithsonian's collections currently not on exhibit.

Cavanagh climbs ladders, peers in drawers, looks behind doors, stares into microscopes and interacts with old bones, bringing a contagious enthusiasm and off-beat humor to the series. He uncovers the intriguing history of each object - its origins, how it came to the Smithsonian, how it is being painstakingly preserved and studied and what it might tell us about ourselves, our culture, where we came from or where we may be going.

Episodes from season one of this original Smithsonian Networks program include: Famous Donors, Superlatives, No Place Like Home, Beauty, Firsts, Life After Death and Random?

In recognition of its creativity, the Stories From The Vaults series recently received a Gold World Medal from the New York Festival, as well as a Parent's Choice Gold Award for Excellence. Product Description

Fun, fast look behind the scenes of the Smithsonian

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from these 30-minute segments - or as Tom Cavanaugh as host. What I got was much more than expected: a fun, fast look behind the scenes of the nation's most prestigious museum. Learn about magic lanterns, Phyllis Diller's thousand-joke card catalog, taxidermy, and more.

I was really impressed. Cavanaugh kept the content from becoming too boring. He is lively, and his bounce is the perfect balance to the quiet personalities behind the museum.

These are short and easy to watch - perfect for home schoolers, or those who like tidbits of trivia. Definitely worth the watch. November 15, 2008

Interesting subject matter; Goofy host

The host seems intelligent enough, but he seems to think that his constant patter of silly humor makes the content more appealing. It doesn't. I think he could be a good host and guide, however, he needs to tone it down and remember that the content he is presenting is more important than his charming, fun-filled personality. As my wife said, "The subject matter was good, but he needs to stop bouncing off the walls." November 2, 2008

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