It’s a project spanning many years to expand the museum’s building to more than 375,000 square feet and its outdoor areas to more than two acres.
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is preparing to unveil its newly renovated facilities on December 15 following a multimillion-dollar makeover. Let’s take a look at some of the major updates happening at the museum.
3News’ Senior Meteorologist Matt Wintz is there until 7 a.m. this morning to bring live updates from the museum during the “GO!” morning show, which you can watch in the video at the top of this story.
It comes as our friends at the “TODAY” show have sent reporter Maggie Vespa to Cleveland to put the museum’s enhancements in the national spotlight, which airs during the third hour of their show today.
It’s a project spanning 10 years to expand the museum’s building to more than 375,000 square feet and its outdoor areas to more than two acres.
Among the changes? A new Visitor Hall, which is a free community space that “showcases eight of the museum’s most iconic objects and specimens” like Balto, dinosaur bones and a moon rock that was collected by astronauts during the Apollo 12 mission in 1969.
“This dramatic, 14,650-square-foot gallery features ceilings that soar to 21 feet and stunning new exhibits placed along the Douglas McCreery and Dr. Laurie McCreery Timeline of the Earth, which marks key events in the history of the Universe,” according to a press release.
You can explore more highlights from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History below…
DYNAMIC EARTH
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History says this new gallery offers guests the opportunity to “interact with the fossil record and a myriad of immersive displays as you explore the 4.6-billion-year history of our planet.”
“How do we understand the history of our planet, let alone the enormity of our Universe? From the tiniest building blocks — the quarks and the leptons, the electrons and neutrons — to the far-flung galaxy clusters that dwarf our Milky Way — swirling, twirling, gravity-bound groups of galaxies — there’s a lot to absorb.”
EVOLVING LIFE
This new section “will highlight the systems that govern life on Earth and explore how life changes over time.”
“Throughout the wing, specimens will be strategically positioned as the evidence scientists use to answer fundamental questions about how the world works,” according to the museum’s site. “We will ask questions of visitors and prompt you to ask your own, all in a framework of scientific inquiry that encourages critical thinking and the recognition that science is about asking and answering questions.”
PLANETARIUM
The transformation project also include “a completely revamped planetarium experience.”
“Every inch of the Shafran Planetarium is designed to connect visitors to the skies — even outside of its astronomer-led programming,” according to the museum’s site. “The design of the building allows its exterior to function as an astronomical instrument at night. Its angled roof faces the North Star, Polaris, around which all other stars in the sky appear to rotate — aligning your gaze with the same star that has guided human beings for centuries.”
CURIOSITY CENTER
“In this space, you’ll get hands-on with Museum collections, connect with science and art to engage your senses and become a citizen scientist,” according to the museum’s site. “You’ll discover engaging exhibits that answer questions and spark new ones — along with interactive workstations and opportunities for self-guided exploration of fascinating specimens.”
Want to check it out for yourself? You can buy tickets to explore the Cleveland Museum of Natural History HERE.
