Harry Potter has nothing on the kids who will visit the Bruce County Museum's Magical Pattern Wizardry Exhibit this summer and you don't have to enroll at the Hogwarts school or even buy a ticket to ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets''.

Anyone can experience the fun of becoming a sorcerer's apprentice this summer simply by visiting the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre in Southampton, Ontario. The magic will be real and will begin with the opening on May 31st of the widely popular children's exhibit, 'Pattern Wizardry'  from the world famous Brooklyn Children's Museum.

After a whirlwind five-year tour throughout North America, this interactive exhibit will have visitors discovering the power of patterns in their lives as this exhibit casts its spell from May 31st to August 31st. The Museum theme this summer is "Wizardry & Wonders", and includes flowing capes, wands and lots of demonstrations and kid-friendly activities based the wonders that surround us, in addition to this spellbinding exhibit this summer.

The exhibit's magical theme, combined with nature and science, is sure to excite budding scientists, mathematicians and artists alike as they learn to recognize, identify, compare, and create patterns.

The Museum's Director and Curator, Barbara Ribey, knew after last year's summer huge hit  with the "Wild & Woolly" Mammoths of the Ice Age robotic exhibit, that expectations would be high for this summer.   "We had to have something that was going to be a sure fire hit! 

With the success of movies like Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings, we had an idea of what we were looking for and, knowing how eager kids are to learn about the environment and nature, when we found Pattern Wizardry it had it all - magic, wizards, nature, science and art!

When I spoke to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, I was told that kids love this exhibit so much and have such great fun that they'll hate to leave the museum and that families love playing together in this exhibit.  That was it -- I asked for it on the spot!"

Ribey adds, "Our staff also liked the theme of this exhibit ... it teaches that the complex universe isn't really random, that the world is based on patterns.

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The exhibition also invites children to investigate examples from nature, science, culture and art.  Pattern Wizardry also uses components that engage all five senses, making it a magical experience for children who have special needs also.

It also includes many hands-on activities, multi-media experiences, and will feature objects from Bruce County Museum's own collection. This exhibit will reveal the variety and prevalence of patterns and help visitors discover how these geometric designs create order and beauty in the natural and cultural worlds.  The added fun of this exhibit is that it is done all in rhyme."

Opening day activities on May 31st will include a busy bee live hive observatory, a BBQ hosted by Southampton's 150th Fundraising Committee, a performance by Mad Science in the Museum's own Bruce Power Theatre, followed by an opportunity for kids to create their own potion of "Ooey Gooey Slime" via science experiments alongside the mad scientists.

In addition, Ma 'n Pa's Olde Fashioned Kettle Corn from Kincardine will magically transform corn kernels to delicious mouth-watering kettle corn.

General admission applies for this opening and the public is encouraged to support the Museum's partners, the Southampton 150th Committee and Ma 'n Pa's Old fashioned Kettle Corn by purchasing their spell-binding snacks and refreshments.

Ribey offers a word of caution to those bringing children to the Museum, "Parents and visitors beware ... Pattern Wizard apprentices will be so absorbed by their investigations into this pattern fantasy world, they may never want to leave!"

The Bruce County Museum is located at 33 Victoria Street North, Southampton, and Ontario.  The Museum is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday and holidays from 1pm to 5pm.  Call the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre for more information at 519-797-2080 or 1-866-318-8889 or visit: www.brucemuseum.ca