Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Key Programs and Events (December)

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

EXHIBITIONS

Genghis Khan Invades Denver - Now through February 7, 2010
Explore the culture, conquests, and heritage of the world's greatest conqueror, when the treasures and stories of Genghis Khan's 13th-century Mongol Empire are presented in Denver for the first time. The Genghis Khan exhibition, at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science from October 16, 2009, through February 7, 2010, offers an adventure in the vast grassland of Central Asia, amid the relics of Genghis Khan's reign.

DECEMBER EVENTS

Celebrating the Year of Darwin - The Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution
Thursday, December 3 at 7 p.m. - $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers
(Special Offer: 2 for 1 Tickets)
The Museum's Year of Darwin celebration closes with an opportunity to discuss evolution with Carl Zimmer, author and science writer for the New York Times, Scientific American, and Discover. The "tangled bank" refers to a passage in Darwin's On the Origin of Species, first published in November 1859. Zimmer will share widespread examples of how evolution is applied to the field of science today, in locations as diverse as the Canadian Arctic and the Australian outback. He uses clear, nontechnical language to explain the central concepts essential for understanding new advances in evolution and how vital evolution is to all branches of modern biology. Zimmer's The Tangled Bank is the only textbook on evolution written for the general reader. Richly illustrated, it is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the history of life on Earth.

Genghis Khan - Behind-the-Scenes Tour
Tuesday, December 8 at 6 p.m. - $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers
Seize this opportunity to explore the Genghis Khan exhibition with Levine, onsite curator for the exhibition. Leave preconceptions at the door and learn what made the greatest conqueror in the world tick. Get a sneak peek of Mongolian objects in the Museum collection that have never been displayed to the general public.

Space Science - Colorado Skies
Wednesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. - $7 for children, $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers (Special Offer: 2 for 1 Tickets)
Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy with Larry Sessions, instructor at Metropolitan State College and Community College of Aurora, and former director or Noble Planetarium in Fort Worth Museum. As winter approaches, see that winter has the most star-studded sky of all. Jupiter hovering in the western twilight, watch the majestic Andromeda Galaxy gliding overhead, and the mighty Orion rising over the eastern horizon. After Jupiter sets, Mars appears, followed later by Saturn.

Wildlife - Bird Walk: Winter Raptors and Resident Birds
Thursday, December 3 from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. - $22 for members, 27 for nonmembers
Experience the vast expanse of plains that is the eastern Colorado prairie in search of over-wintering raptors. After lunch visit the riparian corridor of the South Platte River and nearby reservoirs looking for winter residents. Ages 15 and up.

Children's Workshop - Dandy Dinosaurs
Saturday, December 5 from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. - $40 for members, $50 for nonmembers
Experience the world of sauropods and carnosaurs. Try using "belly buster" gizzard stones to grind plants and touch a fossil cast of a T. rex tooth. Learn about the Colorado state fossil, Stegosaurus, and role-play the life of a dinosaur. Ages 4 and 5.

Genghis Khan - Sandstorms to Snow Leopards: The Cretaceous Tourist in Mongolia
Thursday, December 10 at 7 p.m. - $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers
(Special Offer: 2 for 1 Tickets)
In Summer 1997, Kirk Johnson, PhD, the Museum's chief curator and vice president of research and collections, traveled to remote areas of Mongolia's Gobi Desert with a Mongolian-Japanese-American team in search of fossil plants from the time of the dinosaurs. Join Johnson for a lively evening as he describes his experiences with Asian dinosaurs, extinct plant life, and wrestling in central Asia.

Parent-Child Workshop - Ornaments from Around the World
Sunday, December 13 from 1-3 p.m. - $25 for members, $30 for non members
Sample edible treats. Listen to stories and music. Create at least five tree ornaments inspired by different cultures and lands. These special ornaments represent Europe, Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science - 2001 Colorado Boulevard (Montview & Colorado Boulevard)
Website: www.dmns.org

Hours: Open daily, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Museum Admission:

• Adult - $11
• Junior/Senior (3-18, 65+) - $6

Reservations: 303.322.7009, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• For lectures and programs: reservations are required, with the exception of free activities.
• For Expedition Health: admission is included in general admission, but advance reservations are required.

IMAX Admission

• Adult - $8
• Junior/senior $6

Planetarium (includes Museum Admission)

• Adult - $16
• Junior/Senior - $10

MEDIA CONTACTS
Heather Hope, PR Manager: 303-370-8372, [email protected]
Laura Holtman, PR Manager: 303-370-6407, [email protected]

NOTE: Please let us 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 /, or call 303-322-7009.

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.