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Museum Expansion Project

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MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

OVERVIEW
(updated September 17, 2009)

WHO WE ARE TODAY.  With a mission to “inspire minds through nature and science,” the Museum of Nature & Science at Fair Park delivers exciting, engaging and innovative visitor experiences through its education, exhibition, and research and collections programming for children, students, teachers, families and lifelong learners.

  • The Museum is the result of a 2006 merger, unlike any in the nation, of three cultural institutions – the Dallas Museum of Natural History (est. 1936), The Science Place (est. 1946) and the Dallas Children’s Museum (est. 1995). 
  • According to the City of Dallas’ Office of Cultural Affairs, the Museum of Nature & Science was the most visited cultural institution in Dallas in 2007!
  • Since the 2006 merger, the Museum has invested almost $1 million in its Fair Park facilities to update and rebuild the following permanent exhibit areas: Children’s Museum, Dinosaurs and Life Sciences Halls. 
  • The Board of Trustees is made up of visionary civic leaders who dream big and have the experience to accomplish goals.  They are good stewards of the contributions received from donors and the various collections.
  • The Museum staff takes a business-minded approach to operations and programming, and they partner easily with expert scientists, researchers and other institutional partners. 

EDUCATION IS CRUCIAL.  Our country is expected to face a significant shortage of qualified science, math, technology and conservation professionals in the coming years.  We must place math and science programming in the forefront so North Texas and the U.S. can maintain its competitive edge!

  • The Museum provides after-school programming, outreach and other non-museum programs to the community.
  • In fiscal year (FY) 2008, the Museum served more than 540,000 people – of that number, 324,000 were school children.
  • The Museum has a significant need for a new facility.  It frequently hits its capacity on school children.  The Museum’s busiest months in March, April and May are continually oversubscribed, forcing the Museum to turn children away or overload the buildings and programs.
  • The Museum of Nature & Science serves a highly diverse school market: 60.8% Latino, 29.1% African American, 8.8% Caucasian, 1% Asian and .3% other. 
  • The Museum has provided more than $700,000 in scholarships to at-risk students in the past five years.
  • The Museum of Nature & Science has strong partnerships in its programming with major educational institutions (SMU, UTD, UTSWMC and Dallas ISD and other school districts), community organizations (World Affairs Council of Greater Dallas, Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, Junior League of Dallas) and youth groups (Girls Inc., Boys and Girls Clubs).

RESEARCH. The Museum of Nature & Science conducts leading edge, paleontology research in Alaska, Texas and Mongolia.

  • The Museum is at the forefront of innovative research on the study of polar dinosaurs and continental ecosystems and the implications for climate change through time.
  • 2007 marked the Museum’s 10th year of work in Alaska.
  • The Museum has been fortunate to receive the National Science Foundation and National Park Service grants in recent years to support this groundbreaking research.

NEW FACILITY AT VICTORY PARK TO EXPAND MUSEUM’S REACH AND IMPACT. The Museum will expand its reach and impact by building a world-class, state-of-the-art museum at Victory Park in Downtown Dallas to supplement the existing programming and operations at Fair Park.

VICTORY PARK:

  • The Museum’s new facility at Victory Park will be built on a 4.7-acre site at the northwest corner of Woodall Rodgers and Field Street, with ground-breaking anticipated for late 2009.
  • As a result of the $50 million gift made by the Perot children in honor of their parents, Margot and H. Ross Perot, the Victory Park facility will be named the Perot Museum of Nature & Science.
  • The Victory Park facility, combined with the Fair Park facilities, will address the growing demand for science and math education in North Texas.
  • The new Museum will sit in the heart of Dallas, conveniently located to the American Airlines Center, the Arts District, Uptown, the West End and more. The Victory Park facility will offer easy access to roads, DART, and pedestrian and bicycle paths on the Katy Trail.
  • With a new facility and twice as much space, the Museum will be able to showcase a wider spectrum of its valuable collections, incorporate modern technology, host world-class traveling exhibitions and greatly expand its educational programs.

THE DESIGN:

  • On January 8, 2008, the Museum of Nature & Science named 2005 Pritzker Prize Laureate Thom Mayne of Morphosis as the architect for its new facility.  Mayne is the first American since in 17 years (since 1991) to be selected for architecture’s most prestigious award, the Pritzker Prize (equivalent to the Nobel Prize in literature). 
  • Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), the world’s largest and most renowned museum interpretative design firm; along with Paul Bernhard Exhibit Design & Consulting, Austin; and the Science Museum of Minnesota have been hard at work on the exhibition interpretive plan for the interior spaces within the Victory Park facility.  The goal of the new exhibition spaces is to create one-of-a-kind experiences using hands-on activities, collections and the latest in technological advances to communicate the wonders of nature and science.
  • For the past 20 months, the team of architects from Morphosis and the team of exhibit designers, along with Museum Trustees and staff, have searched the globe benchmarking best practices in design and operations in order to provide the most stunning, innovative and inspiring ways of sharing math, science and technology with people of all ages – from preschoolers to high school students to Nobel Prize winners and lifelong learners.
  • The goal is to create a museum that attracts millions of visitors – from Texans to domestic travelers to an international audience – people who return again and again because they “can’t experience it all in one day” and because they’re eager to check out the latest exhibits/activities.
  • With the ultimate goal of creating a 400,000 square foot museum complex, the Phase One design will accomplish 180,000 square feet which includes approximately 80% public space.
  • The design will be highly functional in order to support many dynamic museum programs.
  • The Museum programs and experiences are being developed to meet and exceed the academic requirements for science and math education as defined by the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) for schoolchildren.

FUNDS RAISED:

  • As of September 17, 2009, the Museum has almost $125 million in capital committed to date towards its current goal of $185 million, which will fund the site acquisition, exhibition planning and design, construction of the new building, education programs and an endowment (see attached Leadership Gifts list).

FAIR PARK:

  • Once the Victory Park museum opens, the Fair Park facility will continue to play a critical role.  Dallas architecture firm Good Fulton & Farrell is developing a comprehensive space plan for the Fair Park facilities. 
  • By utilizing both facilities at Fair Park and Victory Park, the Museum will be better able to address the growing demand for science and math education in North Texas.
  • With both facilities, the Museum can better accomplish its mission to “inspire minds through nature & science” and help North Texas and its citizens maintain their competitive edge.

HOW TO SUPPORT THE MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE. Everyone can play a role in supporting the Museum by donating; becoming a member; attending our exhibits, educational programs and activities; and volunteering.

  • DONATE: Donations of any size – from a few dollars to millions – are welcome. To donate to the Museum of Nature & Science, please contact Hal Rose at 972-201-0591 or hrose@natureandscience.org.
  • BECOME A MEMBER: Individual, student, family and corporate memberships are available ranging from $40 to $10,000 (and higher). For more information, please call the Museum of Nature & Science at 214-428-5555 ext. 1461 or join online at www.natureandscience.org. Museum members enjoy free or discounted admission to Museum activities and more.
  • ATTEND: The Museum is open every day so guests can visit a gallery, explore a collection, experience the Children’s Museum or attend a family festival. Other activities include birthday parties, summer camp programs, scouting programs and sleepovers. 
  • VOLUNTEER: There is a wealth of volunteer opportunities for adults, teens and teachers. Jobs range from science experiment instructors to tour guides to collections assistant to clerical. For details, call 214-201-0552 or visit the website at www.natureandscience.org

For more information about the Museum of Nature & Science,
please call 214-428-5555 or visit the website at www.natureandscience.org

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