Top Programs and Events at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in August and September
IMAX
Summer of IMAX
Through Monday, September 2
Buy Three IMAX Films, Get One Free
Phipps IMAX Theater reaches its 30th anniversary this summer, so we invite you to create your own film festival as you select from new films and returning favorites picked by the public. You will step into the cool darkness of the theater and find yourself swept away on many adventures, taking you from the ocean’s darkest depths to the far corners of the universe. The IMAX Theater offers an immersive experience, with a powerful 3D digital projection system, digital surround-sound, and a four-and-a-half-story-tall screen. See three IMAX films, get one free! Pick up your punch card at any admissions desk. Phipps IMAX Theater is open daily. Find showtimes and ticket information @ www.dmns.org/imax.
NEW! Great White Shark 3D
Misunderstood, maligned, and on the verge of extinction, the great white shark is an iconic predator, and the creature we love to fear. Come face-to-face with great whites in stunning 3D as you explore their place at the top of the oceanic food chain and meet key researchers whose lives have been changed by contact with this phenomenal animal. Shot on location in the crystal clear waters of Mexico’s legendary Guadalupe Island, the bone-chilling depths near South Africa, and newly discovered shark territory off the coast of New Zealand, Great White Shark 3D goes to the depths of human daring to tell the true story about sharks.
COMING SOON! Meerkats 3D
Opening Friday, September 6
Meerkats 3D takes audiences into the world of a meerkat family as they cope with twists and turns of life in Africa’s Kalahari Desert. The film begins as matriarch Klinky's newest litter emerges from the burrow for the first time. Klinky and her family, including her elder children and regular babysitters, Ms. Bean and Harry, must endure turf wars from rival families, attacks from vicious predators big and small, and internal family turmoil. This tale of strength, survival, and family bonds will delight audiences of all ages.
AUGUST EVENTS
Curiosity Rover Update
Monday, August 5, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember
On August 5, 2012, after seven minutes of suspense, NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission successfully landed the “mega-rover” Curiosity, the largest and most advanced mobile laboratory ever to operate on the surface another planet. Over the past year, Curiosity has been busy investigating climate and geology on Mars. Experts will discuss updates and discoveries related to geochemistry, weather, and atmospheric conditions, including results from the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), the first MSL instrument to return data. RAD is also one of the first instruments sent to Mars to specifically prepare for future human exploration.
SCFD Community FREE Day
Sunday, August 11, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., FREE
Enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions, including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.
Life After the Dodo: Discovering Mauritius
Thursday, August 22, 7:00 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember
Museum anthropologist Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh has recently returned from 10 months living and studying on the tiny island-nation of Mauritius—a place with heavenly beaches and tropical wildlife—and also a place of incredible language, cultural, and religious diversity. Chip will share remarkable images, stories, and insights into the forces that bind together the 1.3 million people living on an island smaller than Colorado’s Jefferson County. Following the lecture, enjoy a Mauritian-inspired dessert reception supported by the Barbara C. and John G. Welles Fund.
Science Lounge: Science on the Rocks
Thursday, August 15, 6:30–9:30 p.m., $10 member, $12 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, learn about the different types of rocks, how geodes are formed, and how and why a diamond is different from marble—all to the beat of rock and roll classics.
SCFD Community FREE Day
Monday, August 19, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., FREE
Enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions, including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
SCFD Community FREE Day
Sunday, September 8, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., FREE
Enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions, including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.
Science Lounge: Where in the World
Thursday, September 19, 6:30–9:30 p.m., $10 member, $12 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, where in the world will our fourth annual Geek Cup Challenge take you? Along with your fellow gumshoes, follow clues leading you on a global chase to find the loot and catch the crook.
A Conversation with Buzz Aldrin
Tuesday, September 17, 4:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. $15 member, $18 nonmember
Tickets for general public go on sale August 14
Legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin was the second person to set foot on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 landing. Aldrin’s passion for space exploration has never waned, and today he’s making a thoughtful case for sending humans to the Red Planet by 2035. During this special evening, in conversation with space journalist Leonard David, Aldrin will share his uniquely personal vision for future exploration. The two men are coauthors of Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration. Following the presentation, Aldrin will sign copies of Mission to Mars.
Africa Revisited
Tuesday, September 24, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember
Museum research associate and geologist Bob Raynolds spent months living and travelling in Africa in 1973. This year, he returned to Egypt, Kenya, and Ethiopia and was awestruck by the dramatic changes in infrastructure and lifestyles. Places that could scarcely be reached 40 years ago now have beautifully paved roads. Electricity abounds, and cell phones have propelled people to new lifestyles and connectivity. Through images and Bob’s unique gift for storytelling, travel to Africa and see how the northeastern part of the continent has been shaped by forces of modernization, and marvel at other features that remain unchanged, in particular the beauty, the exotic feel, and the great hospitality of the people.
Bringing Back the Pollinators
Thursday, September 26, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember
Heard about colony collapse, the mysterious disappearances of bees, and peril to our food supplies? Many of us have been in our backyards, wondering about the diminished hum and buzz around our vegetables and flowers. The good news is that there are steps we can take to increase the resilience of pollinator populations to cope with changes in our environment. Join Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the Xerces Society, to discuss the importance of the groups of insects that provide pollination services in North America, and learn about straightforward actions that protect and provide habitats for pollinators.
MEDIA CONTACT
Charlotte Hurley: 303-370-6407, [email protected]
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.