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Dan Lagiovane,
Media Relations Manager |
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For Immediate Release Contact: Dan Lagiovane (412) 622-3361 February 25, 2005 Celebrate
the end of an era at Groundbreaking Weekend at Pittsburgh … … Dinosaur lovers of all ages are encouraged to visit Dinosaur Hall on March 12 and 13 to see Dinosaur Hall before it undergoes a historic transformation into the new Dinosaurs in Their World exhibit. To celebrate, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Dollar Bank are offering a weekend of discounted admission, special family activities, and much more. Groundbreaking Weekend at Carnegie Museum of Natural History sponsored by Dollar Bank will be the public's opportunity to see the hall in its current state, one enjoyed by generations of museum visitors, before the expansion and renovation project begins. The museum will be open regular museum hours (10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon - 5 p.m. on Sunday) and all visitors will receive $2 off general admission price per person courtesy of Dollar Bank. Not valid with any other offer. "It seems quite appropriate," said Joe Smith, Dollar Bank's VP for Marketing, "that as part of Dollar Bank's 150th anniversary, we are celebrating creatures who roamed this world as many as 150 million years ago." In addition to seeing Carnegie's dinosaurs in their classic poses one more time, special programs for this weekend include Margaret Hooton, Early Childhood Music Instructor, who will lead dinosaur songs in Dinosaur Hall. The museum will also offer Docent and Teen Discovery Carts, Science on Stage performances, tours of Dinosaur Hall, and much more. For a complete list of programs and times, visit www.carnegiemnh.org or call (412) 622-3131. The weekend begins with a gala celebration, "Dance Among the Dinosaurs," on Friday, March 11 from 7 p.m. to midnight. For information on the gala, contact Beth Worstell at 412.578.2479 or worstellb@carnegiemnh.org. Dinosaurs in Their World is an exciting and extensive renovation project that will nearly triple the exhibit space of current Dinosaur Hall. The new exhibit will depict dinosaurs surrounded by dramatic reconstructions of their prehistoric environments. Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous dinosaurs that lived tens of millions of years apart will be separated into distinct areas and repositioned in scientifically accurate poses. Many never-before-exhibited specimens will also be added to the exhibit. Dinosaur Hall will remain open throughout the construction to allow visitors to share in this spectacular event. The public will be given a once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching the disassembly, re-mounting, and reinstallation of dinosaur fossils. When complete, the museum's remarkable creatures will be on exhibit, as museum visitors have never seen them before. Dollar Bank is no stranger to the Carnegie Museum or its dinosaurs. The Bank sponsored the museum's creative fundraising effort "DinoMite Days" in 2003 when it commissioned the creation of two giant dino's called Bill and Dolly Dollarsaurus. Painted piggy bank pink with a dollar bill protruding from the back of each dinosaur, these historic creatures were auctioned off at the end of the summer with the proceeds going to the museums and a local charity. Carnegie Museum of Natural History can be enjoyed Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. and Mondays between July 4 and Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens, $6 for children ages 3-18 and full-time students with ID, and free to children under age 3 and Carnegie members. Convenient visitor parking is available in the museum's six-level garage at Forbes Avenue and South Craig Street. For more information, call (412) 622-3131 or visit www.CarnegieMNH.org. # # #
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