Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Top Programs and Events in April and May

Included in this advisory are key programs and events at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science that aim to inspire curiosity and excite minds of all ages through scientific discovery. 

TEMPORARY EXHIBITION

Lizards & Snakes -FREE with Admission

See 60 live animals at the Museum. The Burmese python, Gila monster, green basilisk, and more star in this fascinating exhibition. Featuring an impressive lineup of lizards and snakes from five continents, Lizards & Snakes introduces visitors to these adaptable, colorful, and sometimes dangerous creatures. The engaging combination of live animals, real and cast fossils, extensive multimedia, hands-on interactives, and an activity area specifically for children offers a fascinating look into the wild world of lizards and snakes that will enthrall and educate visitors of all ages.

SPECIAL OFFER

FREE Field Trips for 2011-2012 School Year

The Museum is offering free exhibition admission and free self-guided tours to all school groups and organized youth groups this school year. Additionally, the Museum is offering scholarships to cover bus fuel costs and to reduce fees for onsite labs and classes. As the region's leading resource for informal science education, the Museum hosts more than 300,000 students and their chaperones each year. The organization is committed to making science affordable, fun, exciting, and engaging. Learn more at www.dmns.org/teachers.

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

NEW! Arctic Sanctuary - FREE with Admission

Arctic Sanctuary, featuring the photography of Jeff Jones, reveals the natural landscape, significance, and stunning beauty of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Fifty images-from large-scale panoramas to intimate and abstract studies of nature's elemental forms-take visitors on an engaging exploration of wilderness and its significance in the modern world.

IMAX

Tornado Alley 3D

Experience the adrenaline and the science of nature's most dramatic phenomena. JoinStorm Chasersstar Sean Casey and the researchers of Vortex 2, the most ambitious effort ever made to understand the origins and evolution of tornadoes, in this heart-pounding science adventure.

Flying Monsters 3D

Uncover the truth about the mysterious pterosaurs, whose wingspans of up to 40 feet were equal to that of a modern jet plane.  Enter the lush and alien environment in which these creatures lived, and experience real flying monsters.

NEW! To the Arctic 3D

Opens April 20

Follow the lives of a mother polar bear and her two cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home.  Captivating, adventurous, and intimate footage brings you up close and personal with this family's struggle to survive and thrive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks.

PLANETARUIM

Wildest Weather in the Solar System

Take a spectacular journey to witness the most beautiful, powerful, and mysterious weather phenomena in the solar system. After seeing a storm the size of a 100-megaton hydrogen bomb and a 400-year-old hurricane, you'll be glad you live on Earth.

APRIL EVENTS

SCFD Community FREE Day-Earth Day

Sunday, April 22, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE

Experience Earth-friendly family fun and celebrate Earth Day with a SCFD Community Free Day!  Enjoy great family-friendly offerings including face painting, GeoDome shows, crafts, renewable energy activities, and children's theater.  And, on April 22^nd only, bring in your household batteries to recycle at the Museum, and bring in your own reusable shopping bag to save an additional 10% off your purchase in the Museum Shop (not including books, CDs, DVDs, or Lizards and Snakes shop).  Plus participate in Free Day fun, such as Mr. Bones, scavenger hunts, and Secrets of the Dioramas tours.

Yuri's Night

Thursday, April 12,6:30 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember, $5 child (ages 3-12)

Join a worldwide celebration of Yuri's Night. This event celebrates human exploration of space by commemorating Yuri Gagarin's flight as the first human in space on April 12, 1961 as well as the inaugural flight of NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981.

Science Lounge: The Science of Flight

Thursday, April 19, 6:30-9:30 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember

(If sold out online, tickets available at the door.)

Enjoy a mind-expanding experience with cocktails and entertainment every third Thursday of the month. Ages 21 and up. This month,enjoy a flight of beer as you learn about flying monsters - past, present, and future. Take a lesson in aerodynamics by building and launching your own rockets and paper airplanes. Also, watch the IMAX 3D film, Flying Monsters.  Did we mention flights of beer?

 Arctic Sanctuary: Meet the Artists

Wednesday, April 25,7 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember

Explore the majestic Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with photographer Jeff Jones as he transports you to the diverse habitats that make the refuge the most species-rich conservation area in the circumpolar north. Jones will share photographic techniques he used to capture these stunning landscapes. Following the program, enjoy a special showing of the "Arctic Sanctuary" photography exhibition and a book signing where Jones will be joined by his coauthor, Laurie Hoyle. To learn more, visit www.dmns.org. Space is limited.

MAY EVENTS

SCFD Community FREE Day

Sunday May 6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE

Visit Lizards & Snakes; enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.

Exploring the Arctic and its Changing Climate

Wednesday, May 9, 7 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember, $8 child (ages 3-12)

To the Arctic 3D is an extraordinary journey to a place of extremes where few dare to go. Venture across floating ice with a mother polar bear and her two cubs as they struggle to survive. Before the film, hear from zoologist John Demboski about polar bears, their behavior, and habitat, while chief curator Kirk Johnson explains why polar bears are particularly affected by climate change.  After the film, lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado Chris Pague will discuss the impacts of climate change here in Colorado.  Join us for coffee and dessert and a chance to meet our speakers following the program.

Science Lounge: Mars and Margaritas

Thursday, May 17, 6:30-9:30 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember

(If sold out online, tickets available at the door.)

Enjoy a mind-expanding experience with cocktails and entertainment every third Thursday of the month. Ages 21 and up. This month,chill out with a margarita and the amazing view from our west atrium as you imagine life on the Red Planet. Take a virtual trip to Mars in our digital Planetarium dome, view the skies through telescopes on the terrace, and tour the Mars diorama in Space Odyssey.

Exploring Titan by Boat

Thursday, May 31, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember

The first nautical exploration of an extraterrestrial sea could come as soon as 2022, if planetary geologist Ellen Stofan can convince NASA to try sailing a boat on Saturn's moon Titan. It is the only place in our solar system other than Earth known to have bodies of liquid on its surface, though the lakes are liquid methane and ethane rather than water. Some scientists believe that these lakes are the most likely place for life to exist in the solar system outside of Earth. Join Stofan as she tells you more about the possibilities. Supported by the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

MEDIA CONTACT

Charlotte Hurley: 303-370-6407, Charlotte.Hurley@dmns.org

About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region's leading resource for informal science education. A variety of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205.  To learn more about the Museum, check www.dmns.org, or call 303-370-6000.

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Many of the Museum's educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.