Morrill Hall opens 'Bizarre Beasts' exhibit May 12

            Weird science will soon be on permanent display at Morrill Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. On May 12, the University of Nebraska State Museum will open "Bizarre Beasts," a new exhibit that explores some of the strangest creatures ever to inhabit the Earth, past and present.

            Morrill Hall is located south of 14th and Vine streets on the UNL City Campus.

            Created by renowned artist and Nebraska native Gary Staab of Staab Studios Inc., this dramatic exhibit takes visitors on a journey back in time as they come face-to-face with some of Mother Nature's most curious creatures and discover how their environments shaped their freaky features. Interactive and educational displays in this newly renovated gallery showcase cast skeletons and remarkable life-size models of natural oddities, including a pterosaur, a giant reptile with a 15-foot wingspan; Diatryma, a 6-foot-tall flightless bird; Helicoprion, a 13-foot shark with a row of teeth that resembles a buzz saw, and much more.

            "This is what happens when art meets science. 'Beasts' is beauty and bizarreness in harmony. Our audience will eat this up," said Mark Harris, the museum's associate director.

            The exhibit is made possible with a gift of more than $300,000 to the University of Nebraska Foundation from the museum's longtime benefactor, the Theodore F. and Claire M. Hubbard Family Foundation of Omaha.

            "The Nebraska State Museum is a true treasure and a must see for all age groups," said Ted Hubbard of Omaha, who represents the Hubbard Family Foundation. "This new exhibit will be another reason to visit and enjoy one of the top attractions in our state."

            "Bizarre Beasts" was previously displayed in leading museums such as the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, among others.

            The University of Nebraska State Museum in Morrill Hall is open 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. Regular 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 their children). UNL staff, faculty, and students are admitted free with valid NU ID. Friends members are free with valid membership card. There is an additional charge for planetarium shows. Parking is free. For further information, telephone the museum at 402-472-2642 or visit www.museum.unl.edu.

Writer: Dana Ludvik