A new orientation gallery that will answer questions about what the museum does, how they do it and why.

The new gallery will feature a number of interactive elements and hundreds of objects and specimens from museum collections. One of most impressive of these is a reproduction of the 40-foot neck and head of Sauroposeidon proteles, the world’s tallest dinosaur, whose enormous neck bones were found in southeast Oklahoma by museum paleontologists in 1994. The huge neck and skull have already been installed, and are visible to visitors as they enter the museum.

An assortment of butterflies and beetles on display in the new gallery. A display case at the entrance to the gallery also will feature a selection of showy, curiosity-grabbing specimens and objects from each of the museum’s collections. These include an assortment of skeletons, brightly colored Ethiopian birds, mounted mammal heads, fish, snakes and other specimens in jars, eggs, minerals and crystals – all arranged to give a sensation of the breadth and wonder of museum collections.

“Why Collections Matter” will include five themed areas that will help visitors understand how collections are used by scientists in a number of fields. Exhibits will show how collections are used in tracking changes to Earth’s geology and climate, monitoring the planet’s ecological health, protecting natural resources, exploring ancient mysteries, and providing materials to make new discoveries in the future. Exhibits will feature museum research and include a reproduction of a western Oklahoma paleontology dig site, a biologist’s field camp, an interactive game fish exhibit, an eagle’s nest and illustrations of ways in which emerging technologies make new discoveries possible, even on very old specimens.

The “Caring for Collections” area will showcase the ways museum professionals preserve and care for the many different objects in collections through a variety of interactive elements. These will include a time-lapse video of the museum’s dermestid beetle colony as it cleans the flesh from a small skeleton.

The gallery will include a small video theater for screening of the museum’s introductory video, and an exhibit called “Inside the Treasure Box” that will introduce visitors to the 12 different collections housed at the museum. Finally, a removable display unit is planned that may be included whenever there are recent scientific discoveries or ongoing research of interest to museum visitors. The removable unit can be updated and added to the exhibit as needed.

Museum Hours:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday

Admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children ages 6-17

For more information call 325-4712 or go to http://snomnh.ou.edu

Website: snomnh.ou.edu

Categories: Exhibits

Contact Info: Phone: 405-325-4712