Top Programs and Events at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in September and October
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION
COMING SOON! MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition
Opening Friday, October 11
Can you really huff and puff and blow a house down? Can you swing from a suspended phone book? Don’t try this at home, try it this fall at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, where you will become the MythBuster and test out these theories and bust or confirm others at MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition! Try a dozen hands-on experiments that will get your heart and mind racing, watch live MythBusting demonstrations, and explore authentic props and gadgets direct from the MythBusters set. Put your scientific curiosity into action at MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition.
IMAX
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.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS
Fiesta FREE Day! SCFD Community FREE Day
Sunday, September 8, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., FREE
In addition to outstanding permanent exhibitions, including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies, enjoy traditional dance performances and themed arts and crafts.
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.
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
Astronomy Day
Sunday, September 29
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science will partner with the Denver Astronomical Society for a day of astronomical activities. Space scientists, space educator, and space explorers will give presentations in Space Odyssey. Weather permitting, solar telescopes will allow for safe viewing of the Sun. Check dmns.org for more details.
OCTOBER EVENTS
Save the Last Dance: A Story of the North American Grassland Grouse
Thursday, October 3, 7 p.m., $12 adult member, $15 nonmember
The dances of North American grassland grouse—from the impressive courtship of prairie-chickens to the bizarre behaviors of sage-grouse—are known to nature lovers as one of the most impressive wildlife displays in North America. Award-winning photographer Noppadol Paothong will share the stories behind the photos in his new book Save the Last Dance: A Story of North American Grassland Grouse, which beautifully captures grassland grouse and their fragile habitat. Following the program, enjoy coffee and cookies at a book signing reception. Presented in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.
SCFD Community FREE Day
Sunday, October 6, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., FREE
Enjoy outstanding permanent exhibitions, including Expedition Health, Space Odyssey, Prehistoric Journey, and Egyptian Mummies.
Indigenous Film and Arts Festival
Tuesday, October 8, FREE
The Museum is pleased to continue a partnership with the Indigenous Film and Arts Festival. This film screening will be the first event of the festival, which is presented by the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management (www.iiirm.org). Film title will be announced in September. Reception follows the screening. Reservations recommended.
Science Lounge: Unnatural History
Thursday, October 17, 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, delve into the dark side of the Museum with a flashlight tour of the dioramas. But beware—parasites, spiders, and other creatures of the night will abound. Learn about cryptozoology as well as real scary critters. Wear your most frightening frocks if you dare!
National Fossil Day Celebration
Saturday, October 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free with Museum admission
Celebrate National Fossil Day at the Museum. Visit Prehistoric Journey to explore the history of life on Earth, watch volunteers clean fossils in the Schlessman Family Laboratory of Earth Sciences, and participate in fossil-themed activities throughout the Museum. Meet the Museum’s paleontologists, and see specimens from our earth sciences collections. Partner organizations, including the National Park Service, will present fun activities for fossil enthusiasts of all ages.
Meet Dr. Scott
Saturday, October 19, 8:30 a.m. and 12 p.m., $12 adult member, $8 child/junior member, $15 adult nonmember, $10 child/junior nonmember
All aboard! Scott Sampson, the Museum’s vice president for research and collections and host of the hit PBS KIDS show Dinosaur Train will share his enthusiasm for dinosaurs during a short program sure to please your child. Afterward, Dr. Scott will be available for autographs and photos.
Live Bats!
Friday, October 25, 8 p.m. (Adults), $12 member, $15 nonmember
Saturday, October 26, 10 a.m. and Noon (Families), $12 adult member, $8 junior member, $15 adult nonmember, $10 junior nonmember
Live Bats returns to Denver! Rob Mies, director of the Organization for Bat Conservation, will introduce you to an international delegation of some of the rarest bats in the world, including a gigantic flying fox bat from Malaysia with a nearly six-foot wingspan. Costumes welcomed!
Who Owns the Past?
Tuesday, October 29, 7 p.m., $8 member, $10 nonmember
The research of cultural anthropologist Julie Hollowell spans anthropology, archaeology, ethics, art, cultural heritage law and policy, and museum studies to consider the broad implications of how people in the present value and use “the past.” Hollowell draws from the work of IPinCH, an international project that investigates intellectual property issues related to cultural heritage, and her own ethnographic research with subsistence diggers, collectors, and dealers involved in a legal antiquities market to consider whether the question of who owns the past is really the one we should be asking. Hollowell is cochair of the World Archaeological Congress Committee on Ethics, a member of the steering committee for the IPinCH Project, and research associate in the Anthropology Department at Indiana University. The Marie Wormington Lecture is named for the renowned anthropologist who had an illustrious career at the Museum.
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.
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.