'Dinosaurs and Disasters' Feb. 4 at Morrill Hall

Released on 01/19/2012, at 2:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012

WHERE: University of Nebraska State Museum, Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine Streets, UNL City Campus

Lincoln, Neb., January 19th, 2012 —

            The University of Nebraska State Museum and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences will host the eighth-annual "Dinosaurs and Disasters" family fun day from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 4, at Morrill Hall, south of 14th and Vine streets on the UNL City Campus.

            "Dinosaurs and Disasters" provides a day of discovery and hands-on activities throughout the museum with more than 20 stations staffed by UNL scientists, and graduate and undergraduate students. This year's theme is droughts and floods. Interactive activities will help visitors better understand planet Earth by exploring flooding and drought throughout time. Sometimes we have too much water; sometimes we don't have enough. Learn about streams, flood control, tornadoes, fossils, dinosaurs, diatoms and more. Bring a rock or fossil for a scientist to identify. Also, bring canned food items for the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Student Chapter's Canned Food Drive. The food will be donated to a local shelter.

            This event is made possible through the support of US Bank. Regular museum admission charged. Parking is free in front of the museum.

            Mueller Planetarium will debut the new National Geographic fulldome show "Forces of Nature," which showcases the science behind natural disasters like volcanoes, earthquakes, and tornadoes (40-minute running time). Show times are 11 a.m., noon, and 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

            Established in 1871, the University of Nebraska State Museum is the state’s premier museum of natural history. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday; 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays; and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults (19 and over), $3 for children (5-18 years, 4 and under are free), and $10 for families (up to two adults and children). UNL staff, faculty and students are admitted free with valid NU ID. There is an additional charge for planetarium shows. Planetarium tickets are sold at the museum's front gate the day of the show. Parking is free in front of the museum. For more information, visit www.museum.unl.edu. For more information on Mueller Planetarium, visit www.spacelaser.com.

Writer: Dana Ludvik, Public Relations Coordinator, NU State Museum, 402-472-3779

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