TOP PROGRAMS AND EVENTS IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

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 

T. Rex Encounter - FREE with Admission

Travel back in time to 67 million years ago and explore the Cretaceous world of the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex. Through advanced robotics and cutting-edge face recognition technology, you will come closer than ever to these colossal beasts. See a life-size cast of Sue-the most complete T. rex skeleton ever discovered. Revel in the sheer size of Sue's 42-foot-long and 12-foot-tall, fully articulated, life-size skeleton cast; experience Sue's movement, vision, and sense of smell; and come face to snout with T. rex, Triceratops, and raptors in this brand-new, bilingual (English-Spanish) dinosaur experience.

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

A Strange Beauty, Photographic Studies by John Bonath - FREE with Admission

The first exhibition of its kind and scale, "A Strange Beauty," presents some of the Museum's scientific treasures-such as snake skin sheds, horse skulls, rocks, and minerals-to the public in the form of art. Bonath's work portrays his belief that in this world every object has a story that can be unlocked by the viewer's imagination.

IMAX 

DinoMax 3D Double Feature

Enjoy spine-tingling dinosaur fun at the Museum this fall with the DinoMax 3D Double Feature. The IMAX 3D film Dinosaurs Alive! features amazingly lifelike re-creations of dinosaurs and follows renowned paleontologists as they uncover new evidence about these endlessly fascinating creatures. The 3D adventure Waking the T. Rex: The Story of SUE brings Sue-the world's most famous Tyrannosaurus rex-to life on the giant screen as scientists piece together fossil clues to tell her story, from nest to death to infamy. Total run time for both films is 45 minutes.

Born to Be Wild 3D

Experience an award-winning and inspirational story of love, dedication, and the remarkable bond between humans and animals. This film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them―saving endangered species one life at a time. This heartwarming adventure transports moviegoers into the lush rain forests of Borneo with world-renowned primatologist Biruté Galdikas, PhD, and across the rugged Kenyan savanna with celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne Sheldrick, as they and their team rescue, rehabilitate, and return these incredible animals to the wild.

PLANETARIUM

One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure

One World, One Sky is a brilliant spectacle of light and color that follows Sesame Street's Big Bird and Elmo as they explore the night sky with Hu Hu Zhu, a new friend from China. Together, they take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, where they discover how different it is from Earth. This cross-cultural adventure opens children's eyes to the sky, helping them see how people all over the world are connected.

NOVEMBER EVENTS

The Evolution of Darwin's Finches, Wednesday, November 2, 7 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember

Since 1973, award-winning evolutionary biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant, PhDs, have traveled to the Galápagos Islands each year to spend several months studying the evolution, ecology, and behavior of the infamous Darwin's finches. Celebrate the 102nd anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species with this special lecture by the Grants. They will share their adventures in science and how the story of evolution continues to change the way we understand our world. The Grants are the subject of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time, and professors emeritus at Princeton University.

Night of the Museums, Denver Arts Week, Saturday, November 5, 5 p.m.-10 p.m., FREE

In partnership with Visit Denver's Denver Arts Week-the annual night Denver's greatest attractions open their doors for FREE-Museum visitors will enjoy extended hours to see T. Rex Encounter and permanent exhibitions including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.

Digital Earth: Explore the World from Space, Wednesday, November 9, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember

Special guest Vance Howard, founder of Artists By Nature, joins geologist Bob Raynolds, PhD, and space scientist Ka Chun Yu, PhD, to show immersive, 360-degree panoramas of the Grand Canyon using Gates Planetarium's stunning digital projection system. Experience new footage illustrating the formation of the canyon and what's believed to be some of the oldest rock art in the United States, discuss challenges facing wild rivers across the globe, and enjoy a special screening of Crossing Worlds, an award-winning short film using spherical photography.

How to Clone a Mammoth, Wednesday, November 16, 7 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember

Is it possible? Acclaimed DNA researcher Beth Shapiro, PhD, goes behind the headlines and explains the difficulties involved in cloning a mammoth from frozen DNA samples. She'll also share other compelling stories from her studies, such as how mosquitoes can possibly live in the arctic, how she figured out the flightless dodo bird is related to the pigeon, and why Jurassic Park couldn't work. Shapiro is a member of the Museum's Snowmastodon Project Science Team and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.

SCFD Community FREE Day, November 13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE

Visit T. Rex Encounter; enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies; and participate in games and activities for the whole family. Learn about Latin American cultures with Museum experts and local cultural organizations, including Museo de las Americas and the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council. Enjoy traditional Latin American dance performances by Baila Conmigo, and see Latin American artifacts from the Museum's collections.

Science Lounge: Rex, Drinks, and Rock & Roll, Thursday, November 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, experience a whole evening dedicated to the most popular dinosaur of all-T. rex. Enjoy live music and a Long Island IcedT-Rex, as Museum scientists Ian Miller and Joe Sertich debate whether the tyrant lizard king tore unlucky prey to shreds or simply picked up the scraps. Also, get into the holiday spirit by comparing T.rex to its delicious Thanksgiving relative, the turkey.

Live Programming for NASA Mars Launch, Wednesday, November 23, Thursday, November 24, and Friday November 25, FREE

On Friday, November 25, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission will deploy the rover Curiosity-the largest mobile spacecraft ever launched to another planet.  The Museum is offering interactive programming live from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 23 and 24, plus special launch coverage on November 25 included FREE with Museum admission. Visit www.dmns.org for programming schedule.

DECEMBER EVENTS

SCFD Community FREE Day, December 5, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE

Visit T. Rex Encounter; enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies; and participate in games and activities for the whole family. Meet Mr. Bones and his life-size dinosaur skeleton puppets. Get your face painted, enjoy a scavenger hunt, and join a Secrets of the Dioramas tour.

Recoveries in the Wild, December 8, 7 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember

Nature is resilient, and given opportunity and a little help, it can fight its way back to health. Enjoy a screening of the inspiring IMAX film about animal rescue, Born to Be Wild 3D, and an evening with scientists from the Nature Conservancy who will share their own stories of how nature is making a comeback in Colorado and around the world. Afterward enjoy dessert and coffee and a chance to socialize with your friends and people who work on the front lines in the ongoing battle to conserve our planet.

MEDIA CONTACTS

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

Heather Hope, PR Manager: 303-370-8372, Heather.Hope@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.