The Royal Tyrrell Museum turns 25 this year, with plans for a major birthday party, a special new exhibit and the anticipation of hitting a new attendance milestone.
A new exhibit, Alberta Unearthed: 25 stories of discovery, will showcase 25 of the museum’s most significant specimens and the intriguing stories of their discoveries.
“The Royal Tyrrell Museum has been making Albertans proud for 25 years,” said Lindsay Blackett, Minister of Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. “The entire museum staff is committed to the highest standards of scientific excellence, with an equally strong commitment to sharing Alberta’s wonderful heritage of palaeontology with the world.”
The museum invites the public to participate in anniversary celebrations September 17-19 in conjunction with Alberta Arts Days. The official Royal Tyrrell Museum birthday party will be held Saturday, September 25.
Sometime this summer, the museum is also looking forward to welcoming its 10-millionth visitor – a worthy milestone for this very special year.
The anniversary exhibit, Alberta Unearthed: 25 stories of discovery, is about the people, places, and pieces at the heart of Canada’s world-renowned dinosaur museum. Amazing stories, extraordinary illustrations and photographs, and spectacular specimens come together in this tribute to a quarter century of scientific success.
Selecting 25 specimens from a collection of 130,000 fossils was a challenging task. “The specimens we chose tell the story of the Royal Tyrrell Museum while highlighting some of the most significant discoveries in modern science,” said Andrew Neuman, the museum’s executive director. “The result is an incredible exhibit, featuring everything from a stunning Tyrannosaurus rex named ‘Black Beauty’ to an exquisite piece of amber, to a flying turtle from China.”
Complementing the exhibit is Alberta Unearthed: the game. Hosted in the museum auditorium, this free 30-minute game show focuses on specimens from the 25th anniversary exhibit and challenges the audience with images, video clips, puzzles and multiple-choice questions. Alberta Unearthed: 25 stories of discovery opens May 22 and continues until September 2011.
Operated by the Government of Alberta, the Royal Tyrrell Museum is located six kilometres northwest of Drumheller on Highway 838.
www.tyrrellmuseum.com