Top Programs and Events at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in February and March
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION
NEW! Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age
Opens February 15
Return to the Ice Age. In Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age, you will encounter some of Earth's most awe-inspiring mammals, roam among saber-toothed cats and giant bears, and wonder over some of the oldest human artifacts in existence. Life-size models, fossil tusks and skulls, touchable teeth, spear points, cave paintings, interactive displays, and videos bring the Ice Age back to life. You'll also enjoy a point of pride for Coloradans as you relive the story of the Snowmastodon Project®, the exceptional Ice Age fossil site unearthed near Snowmass Village in 2010. You'll see specimens from the site and hear about the science that is emerging from this historic discovery.
IMAX
NEW! Titans of the Ice Age3D
Opens February 15
Titans of the Ice Age 3D transports you back 10,000 years before modern civilization to the beautiful and otherworldly landscapes of North America, Europe, and Asia. Peer through the 3D canvas as dazzling computer-generated imagery brings this mysterious era and its giant animals to life. You will come face to face with saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, and woolly mammoths as they share the land with early humans who both feared and relied upon these majestic beasts. Experience this dynamic chapter in the age-old story of human ingenuity, a “trial by ice” that compelled our ancestors to seek understanding and meaning in nature.
NEW! Flight of the Butterflies 3D
Opens February 15
A scientific adventure. A compelling detective story. A stunning sight to see. Flight of the Butterflies 3D is all this and more. Dr. Fred Urquhart spent nearly 40 years working to discover the monarch butterflies’ secret hideaway and solve the mystery of their unique migration path. In this dazzling 3D film, you will experience the inspiring story of this scientist’s passion and see up close the lifecycle of these beautiful creatures. Get a butterfly’s-view of the world as you fly over North America and into the isolated mountaintops in Mexico where you will encounter hundreds of millions of fluttering monarchs.
FEBRUARY EVENTS
Meet Charles Darwin
Sunday, February 10, 4 p.m. $15 member, $10 member child (3–12 years), $18 nonmember, $13 nonmember child (3–12 years), $15 student
Bring the family to celebrate Darwin’s birthday as you spend an afternoon with the affable young Charles Darwin. Enactor Brian “Fox” Ellis is back by popular demand to bring Darwin to life. You’ll hear humorous tales of Darwin’s training as a naturalist, his insights into South American geology, his discovery of strange creatures on the Galápagos archipelago, and most important, the scientific evidence that led to his revolutionary theory. Equal parts dramatic storytelling, stand-up comedy, and show-and-tell, Ellis will bring this famous man to life as you are immersed in the intellectual world of one of history’s greatest scientific minds.
SCFD Community FREE Day
Monday, February 11, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., FREE
Enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.
Inside the Russian Space Program
Tuesday, February 19, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember
Last fall, Steve Lee, curator of planetary science, and a small Museum delegation gained incredible access to the once highly classified world of Russian space travel when they experienced the launch of the Soyuz to the International Space Station. In a Soviet-era holdover, the main Russian launch facility of Baikonur is actually located on the arid steppe of Kazakhstan, the famed site for the launch of Sputnik 1 and of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in orbit. Lee will share the excitement of being so close to a rocket launch, what goes on behind the scenes of the Russian Space Agency, and his thoughts on what is next for human spaceflight.
Science Lounge: Like an Egyptian
Thursday, February 21, 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, travel to the land of the pharaohs, Science Lounge style. Enjoy an after hours experience in our Egyptian Mummies exhibition, take a virtual trip down the Nile, and see artifacts that we have unearthed from our collections that you won't see any other time.
Simply Irresistible: The Science of Love
Wednesday, February 27, 7 p.m., $12 member, $15 nonmember
For your pleasure, the Museum is teaming with Opera Colorado, once again, to present a unique blend of science and sound. Celebrate the nuance, chemistry, and crassness behind love and attraction. Was Don Giovanni a player or a pawn? We are love’s slave, but is our response ruled by our heart, head, or pituitary? Bridget Coughlin, the Museum’s curator of human health and vice president of strategic partnerships, engagingly explores the science and biochemistry of love, as the Opera Colorado Young Artists perform selections from Don Giovanni, in homage to one of opera’s most famous heartbreakers.
MARCH EVENTS
New Frontiers in the Biology of Mammoths and Mastodons
Tuesday, March 5, 7pm, $8 member, $10 nonmember
Daniel Fisher, director of the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan, is a leading expert on mammoths and mastodons, and he is a member of our Museum’s Snowmastodon science team. Many of you may remember Fisher from the NOVA program about Snowmass and recall that much of his work is driven by an interest in whether human hunting was a significant factor in the extinction of these Ice Age icons. Fisher will share some of the highlights of his work, including Lyuba the baby mammoth, featured in the Mammoths and Mastodons exhibition. Lyuba’s amazing state of preservation—including eyelashes, ears, and internal organs—is providing scientists with a better picture of how these ancient giants lived.
Ice Age Social
Friday, March 8, 7:30-11 p.m., $27 member, $33 nonmember, ages 21+ only
Don’t miss the chillest event in 10,000 years. Savor glimmering cocktails at the ice bar, try your hand at cave painting, and learn to throw an atlatl during this party for the ages. Your ticket includes live entertainment, admission to Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age, and one drink at the bar.
Science Lounge: Mathletes and Athletes
Thursday, March 21, 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,take on probability and statistics just in time for the college hoops championship with TED speaker and Wired magazine blogger Garth Sundem.
Spring Break: Ice Age
Thursday, March 21-Sunday, March 31, activities from 10 a.m. -4 p.m., FREE with Museum admission
Experience a week of Ice Age family fun during spring break celebrating our current temporary exhibition Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age. Enjoy activities throughout the Museum including digging for Ice Age fossils, learning how to draw Ice Age animals, spinning the wheel to try your hand at Ice Age Trivia for a chance to win prizes, and the exciting Snowmastodon Project® with TSI: Snowmass Village and more.
Near-Earth Objects: Finding Them Before They Find Us
Wednesday, March 27, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember
Book sale and signing
Where do those comets and asteroids that come so close to Earth come from? How do we find them? Can we protect our planet from them? Donald Yeomans, senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is the manager of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office. Yeomans addresses these questions and discusses well-known impacts on Earth, such as the one that killed off the dinosaurs. He explains the possible ways we can protect ourselves (by deflection or blowing them up) or potentially use them for our own gain (perhaps as a stepping stone for travel to Mars).
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.