Mysteries of the Ice Ages Opening

Explore the Mysteries of the Ice Ages through hands-on activities, expert lectures, and guided tours of our newest special exhibition! Mysteries of the Ice Ages invites visitors to explore 80,000 years of Earth’s dramatic history, uncovering the mysteries of ice and the remarkable adaptations that allowed life to survive in an unforgiving world.

Events and Activities (11 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

To celebrate the opening of our newest special exhibition, Mysteries of the Ice Ages, we're throwing an Ice Age Extravaganza that curious minds of all ages can enjoy! Check out the day's line up, prebook your tickets, and get ready to celebrate this glacial event with us on Saturday, June 7.

Live Music

Enjoy live music in the Museum Canyon from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Arts and Crafts

Unleash your creativity by making Ice Age animal puppets. Stop by anytime from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Puppet Theater: Cave Stories

Enjoy a 5 minute puppet show that brings cave stories to life. Shows start every 15 minutes from 12-1 and 2-3 p.m.

Guided Tours

Gallery interpreters will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Mysteries of the Ice Ages special exhibition space. Guided tours will be available at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Human Lifeways Interactions

Engage with Abby Baka and Haley Kievman to learn about human lifeways at the end of the Ice Age and into the Holocene in the Utah/Colorado area. Abby and Haley will be sharing their expertise in the Canyon between 2-4 p.m.

Expert Lecture

Learn all about Neanderthals in an expert lecture by Sarah Pederzani, Ph. D., in the Swaner Forum at 3 p.m. Pederzani is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Geology & Geophysics at the University of Utah and an expert on Neanderthals and their relationship to their climate.

About the Speaker

Pederzani explores how Pleistocene humans responded to climate change and seeks to improve how we generate palaeoclimatic data for the archaeological record using stable isotope and biomarker methods. She explores the climatic conditions that influenced Homo sapien and Neanderthal lives during the Late Pleistocene. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, practicing Spanish, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Access to this exhibition is included with museum admission, which is free for Museum Members. If you're planning a visit to Mysteries of the Ice Ages, consider upgrading to a Museum Membership to get free admission for a year, including all our special exhibits and events. 

Mysteries of the Ice Ages is developed by the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Canada, with support from tour partner Polar Knowledge Canada.

Presented by

The I.J. and Jeanné Wagner Charitable Foundation

Major Sponsors

The Clark and Nancy Giles Special Exhibition Endowed Fund

My Good Fund

Exhibit Sponsor

The Cultural Vision 30 Year Endowment Fund

Community Sponsor

Marriner S. Eccles Foundation