SPRINGFIELD – The Museum School at the Springfield Museums is currently offering classes and experiential learning opportunities for both children and adults. Spaces are still available for fall courses and trips – gift certificates are also available, and make unique and memorable gifts.

All classes are led by experienced and supportive instructors in topics tied to the museums’ collections and special traveling exhibits. Winter classes for young people include explorations health science, engineering, and the chemistry behind baking, plus an exciting look into a dog’s world with our course tied to the upcoming special exhibit, “Wolf to Woof.”

Age ranges for each class vary – check SpringfieldMuseums.org under Programs/Classes for more information.

Offerings for adults during the winter session include lectures in the art & history of cheese making, an inside look at the Botanic Gardens of Smith College, as well as classes in sculpting, drawing, and painting (oil and watercolor). Many classes are one-day offerings, allowing even the busiest adults to participate.

Adult travel opportunities are also being planned, including “bucket list” excursions to see the ancient ruins of Peru, the National Parks of the Old West, and the French Riviera and Provence. Information sessions for those multi-day trips are taking place on January – day trips to museums in Boston and New York City are also available.

For complete class descriptions, travel itineraries, fees, or to register, visit SpringfieldMuseums.org and click on the Programs tab, or call 263-6800, ext. 377 or 382.

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The Springfield Museums’ monthly tour and lecture schedule continues in January with the popular Museums à la Carte lectures, which take place each Thursday at 12:15 p.m. in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts.

Admission is $4 ($2 for members of the Springfield Museums); visitors are invited to bring a bag lunch (cookies and coffee are provided). For more information about Museums à la Carte, call 263-6800, ext. 488. This month’s lectures include:

Jan. 21 – Leaving Our Mark: In Celebration of the Pencil – Artist’s Words and Views. Steve Wilda, artist, organizer of Leaving Our Mark, will be joined by other artists featured in the exhibit, including Doug Gillette, Bill Simpson, Lesley Cohen, and Luciana Heineman.

Jan. 28 – The Klondike Gold Rush: A Chicopee Man goes to the Yukon in 1898 (and back). Robert H. Romer, professor emeritus, Amherst College, brings to life the story of Chicopee’s John Gibson, an Irish immigrant who set out for the Klondike to seek his fortune.