Situated at the end of the award-winning Prehistoric Journey exhibition, the Schlessman Family Laboratory of Earth Sciences opened in April 1990. It had been operating more or less continuously since then and received a much-needed facelift in fall 2005.
"You know, it's the one public space in the Museum where people can see work being done," said Chief Curator Kirk Johnson, PhD.
More than $82,500 in gifts allowed for a fresh coat of paint, new shelving units and tools, and a state-of-the-art air-handling system. Plaster casts of various dinosaur bones have been mounted on the walls as well.
About 75 percent of the fossils that have been on display, or are currently on display at the Museum, have come through the lab, according to Chief Preparator Ken Carpenter, PhD. This volume of fossil preparation is high for a museum and is possible only through the dedication of our volunteers. More than 125 men and women work in the lab, donating their time and passion 364 days out of the year.
These volunteers are all graduates of the Museum’s Paleontology Certification Program, a specialized training course that allows amateur scientists to work in a professional setting.