An Action-Packed Summer at the Denver Museum of Nature
& Science
Top Programs and Events in June and July
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION
Lizards & Snakes -FREE with Admission
Closes Sunday, July 8
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.
Coming Later This Summer
A Day In Pompeii
Opens Friday, September 14
What nature destroyed, it also preserved. Hundreds of
exceptional artifacts offer an insider's glimpse into the daily
life-and tragic end-of this ancient Roman city that was destroyed
by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. These archaeological
treasures lay buried in Pompeii's ruins, preserved as if sealed in
a time capsule. Highlights include marble and bronze sculptures,
jewelry, gold coins, everyday household items, and more. Visitors
will uncover the treasures of a city steeped in legend, examine
casts of the volcano's victims frozen in their last moments, and
discover the power of volcanoes past and present.
SPECIAL OFFER
FREE Field Trips for School Groups
The Museum is offering free self-guided tours to all school
groups and organized youth groups through December 2012. In
addition, 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. Reservations required. Learn more
at www.dmns.org/teachers.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
Arctic Sanctuary - FREE with Admission
Closes Tuesday, June 19
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
To the Arctic 3D
Now Showing
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.
Space Junk 3D
Opens July 13
After 50 years of launching our dreams into space, we now face a
troubling legacy: a growing ring of orbiting debris from various
rockets and satellites.Space Junk 3Dis a visually explosive,
sensory-expanding voyage into our now-threatened "final frontier."
Experience mindboggling collisions, both natural and human-made, as
you soar from the stunning depths of Meteor Crater in Arizona to an
unprecedented view of our increasingly crowded orbits-22,000 miles
above Earth.
PLANETARUIM
Wildest Weather in the Solar System
Now Showing
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.
Realm of Light
Opens July 13
This visual feast for the eyes enhanced with breathtaking music
follows the incredible story of life on Earth. From the Big Bang to
the modern age of humankind, viewers of all ages will be inspired
by the marvel of nature and the power of human curiosity.
JUNE EVENTS
Venus Transit
Tuesday, June 5, 5:30 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember,
$8 child (ages 3-12)
On June 5, Venus will pass directly between Earth and the sun,
and the planet will appear as a small black dot gliding slowly
across the face of the sun. Neverlook directly at the sun. The
Museum will offer solar telescope viewing beginning at 5:30 p.m. on
the west side of the Museum. Scientists Ka Chun Yu and Bob Raynolds
will be in Gates Planetarium sharing the science behind why the
alignment of Earth and Venus is such a rare event. They will also
show you James Cook's route in the Pacific in 1769 when he first
observed the transit in order to measure the distance from Earth to
the sun.
SCFD Community FREE Day
Sunday June 17, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE
Celebrate Father's Day at the Museum for FREE. Visit Lizards
& Snakes; enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions including
Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian
Mummies.
Wired's National GeekDad Day
Sunday, June 17, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE
The Museum will be a host site for National GeekDad Day, a new
initiative fromWiredmagazine in collaboration with the U.S.
Department of Education. Playing off the popular GeekDad blog and
book series, the day is set aside for parents to experiment with
fun activities designed to fortify relationships and children's
passions for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Activities for families will available throughout the Museum on
June 17, which is also an SCFD Community Free Day.
Science Lounge: Science Sideshow
Thursday, June 21, 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,step right
up and experience the science behind fantastic feats and amazing
illusions. This is an evening that's sure to be full of strange
natural wonders, live performances, and freakish fun.
JULY EVENTS
SCFD Community FREE Day
Monday, July 2, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE
Visit Lizards & Snakes; enjoy outstanding permanent
exhibitions including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric
Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.
Sci-Fi Film Series
Wednesdays, July 11-August 8, $12 member, $15 nonmember
(per film)
Science fiction feeds the imagination and helps us to explore
possible futures, our hopes and fears, and the unfolding of
technologies. Join Museum scientists and Vincent Piturro, PhD,
English professor at Metropolitan State University of
Denver, to screen famous sci-fi films, break down the science
behind these alternative possibilities, and separate fact from
fiction. For ticket information and the film schedule, visit /learn/adults/sci-fi-film-series/
Film Premiere:Space Junk 3D
Friday, July 13, 8 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember, $8
child (ages 3-12)
Experience mind-boggling collisions in space in the new IMAX
film,Space Junk 3D. Fifty years after launching our dreams into
space, we're left with a troubling legacy: an ever-increasing cloud
of speeding orbital debris that threatens the safety of many
spacecraft in Earth orbit, including the International Space
Station. Following the film, hear from a panel of experts,
including the "father of space junk," Don Kessler, longtime head of
NASA's Orbital Debris Program. The panel will discuss how space
debris is tracked and how space-faring nations can be engaged to
implement solutions. Cosponsored by the Museum and the Secure World
Foundation.
Science Lounge: Science Sideshow
Thursday, July 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,we're
kicking off the 2012 Summer Olympics, Science Lounge-style, with
the third annual Geek Cup Challenge! No muscles are required on
this evening of mental fortitude, as you solve, experiment, and
explain your way toward the night's highest honor, the Geek Cup. Be
sure to brush up on your Olympics-themed trivia-everything from
athletes to geography is fair game!
Butterflies: The Bright Wings of Summer
Thursday, July 26, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10
nonmember
Butterflies just have a way of brightening people's lives. But
how much do you really know about these seemingly ubiquitous
creatures? In this gorgeously illustrated talk, lepidopterist
and writer Robert Michael Pyle, PhD, will immerse you in
the lifeways and habitats of these most beloved of insects.
Pyle, a Denver native, will discuss the ecology, natural history,
and conservation of butterflies, with special reference to the
Rockies. Along the way he will touch on monarch migration,
butterfly gardening, and getting kids outdoors.
MEDIA CONTACT
Charlotte Hurley: 303-370-6407, Charlotte.Hurley@dmns.org
NOTE:Please let me know if this monthly event/program update is
more appropriate for another person at your organization, so we can
update our contact list.
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.
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