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Dan Lagiovane,
Media Relations Manager |
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For Immediate Release Contact: Dan Lagiovane 412.622.3361 February 15, 2005
Carnegie
Museum of Natural History announces expansion phase
Pittsburgh … One of Pittsburgh's most beloved icons is about to get a dramatic new look. And visitors to Carnegie Museum of Natural History will be able to witness this historic change. Beginning Monday, March 14, Carnegie Museum of Natural History's world famous Dinosaur Hall will begin its transformation into a dynamic new exhibit, Dinosaurs in Their Time. The last day to see the historic hall in its current state will be Sunday, March 13. Dinosaurs in Their Time is an expansion and renovation project that will create additional space for state-of-the-art exhibitions. The museum plans to use its world-class collections to create dynamic new exhibitions, which, for the first time, will integrate dinosaurs into the environments of their respective time periods. The project will make the museum's dinosaur exhibition a spectacular 'first day' attraction for the region. The museum's Dinosaur Hall currently features 15 dinosaur skeletons in a space originally built for one. Several of those dinosaurs are among the world's most famous and most complete specimens- Diplodocus carnegii, or "Dippy," named after Andrew Carnegie; Apatosaurus louisae named for Carnegie's wife, and the first Tyrannosaurus rex, or "T. rex," ever found. The expanded dinosaur exhibit, which will occupy nearly three times the space of the current Dinosaur Hall, will depict dinosaurs surrounded by reconstructions of their environments and many never-before-exhibited specimens will be added to the hall. The expansion will include the creation of a dramatic atrium, which will become the central focus of Carnegie Museum of Natural History and reinforce the basic themes of the museum. Dinosaurs will be remounted in scientifically accurate, active poses. New discoveries and technologies have altered long-held theories of how dinosaurs lived and looked. For instance, it is now believed the sauropod dinosaurs, like Diplodocus, did not drag their tails. These new scientific interpretations necessitate that many of the museum's dinosaurs fossils be painstakingly taken apart and then carefully remounted. Much of this historic transformation will take place in public view during regular museum hours. "This will be the most visible and exciting part of the Dinosaurs in Their Time project," said Bill DeWalt, then-Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. "We're combining two things children of all ages love - dinosaurs and construction. People will be able to watch the dinosaur fossils be disassembled, will be able to watch some of the construction, and will eventually watch as the dinosaurs and exhibitions are put together." During this transformation some parts of Dinosaur Hall may be inaccessible and the balcony will be closed. Also, some of the dinosaurs may not be visible to the general public. However, the museum will always have dinosaurs on display including Samson, the best and most complete T. rex skull ever found; the new species of oviraptorosaur that was unveiled in December and serves as a prototype representing how dinosaurs will be remounted and exhibited in the new hall; several specimens as they are being removed from their matrix in PaleoLab; and Stegosaurus, which is not scheduled to be remounted. The museum's 11 remaining permanent exhibit halls, including the Hillman Hall of Minerals & Gems and Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians, will be open and completely accessible. "There will always be something to see," DeWalt said. "The construction is an exciting event by itself. Visitors will see dinosaur fossils being taken apart for the first, and probably only, time. And we will have at least five or six dinosaurs on display which is still more than most natural history museums in the country." To handle the disassembly, remounting and reinstallation of its dinosaurs, Carnegie Museum of Natural History has selected Phil Fraley and Phil Fraley Productions, Inc. of Hoboken, NJ. "This is a dream job," Fraley said. "Carnegie's dinosaurs are one of the most important collections in the world. And the Dinosaurs in Their Time expansion will become one of the best dinosaur exhibitions in the world. It is an honor to be involved in such a project." "The project is moving along at a brisk pace," DeWalt said. "We have completed the design phase with architects E. Verner Johnson of Boston and the Pittsburgh office of Burt, Hill, Rittleman and Kosar; hired Jendoco Construction Corp. of Pittsburgh as the project manager; and will be selecting an exhibitions fabrication firm in the next few weeks. Completion is scheduled for late 2007 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the opening of the current building." DeWalt noted that: "The fundraising is also going very well - we are over $31 million toward a working goal of $35 million. There are still numerous naming and sponsorship opportunities available and we are confident that many private donors will now come forward to support the project." To celebrate the final weekend of the current Dinosaur Hall, Carnegie Museum of Natural History is planning several special events. On Thursday, March 10, a groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the atrium project. On Friday, March 11, the museum is hosting "Dance Among the Dinosaurs," a gala celebration, from 7 p.m. to midnight. For information on the gala, contact Beth Worstell at 412.578.2479 or worstellb@carnegiemnh.org. For those wishing to say goodbye to the historic hall that has inspired and excited generations of people, the museum is offering Groundbreaking Weekend at Carnegie Museum of Natural History sponsored by Dollar Bank on Saturday March 12 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 13 from noon to 5 p.m. Highlights include discounted admissions for the entire family, games, family activities, and much more. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, welcomes 350,000 visitors a year and reaches another 150,000 through educational outreach programs. It is the third largest repository of dinosaur fossils in the world, and its total collections exceed 21 million objects, specimens, and artifacts. It was recently named fourth best natural history museum in the United States by US Airways in-flight magazine, Attache, and its dinosaur hall is often ranked among the world's best. Carnegie Museum of Natural History can be enjoyed Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and Mondays between July 4 and Labor Day, President's Day and the Monday between Christmas and New Year's from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens, $6 for children ages 3-18 and full-time students with ID, and free to children under age 3 and Carnegie members. Convenient visitor parking is available in the museum's six-level garage at Forbes Avenue and S. Craig Street. For more information, call 412.622-3131 or visit www.carnegiemnh.org. # # #
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