Behind the Scenes: Discover the Collections and Meet Scientists at the Natural History Museum of Utah

Salt Lake City, October 14, 2107 - Become an insider for a weekend at the Natural History Museum of Utah’s annual Behind the Scenes event, happening Saturday and Sunday, November 4 - 5, 2017. Free with the price of admission, guests have an extraordinary opportunity to explore scientific labs, talk with researchers and tour state-of-the-art storage facilities where the Museum cares for the 1.6 million objects in its collections.  Normally off-limits to regular visitors, these areas will be open to the public for two days only, from 10am to 4:30pm.

“Behind the Scenes is one of our premiere events,” says Becky Menlove, Associate Director for Visitor Experience. “It’s an exciting time of year, when we invite and encourage the people of Utah to learn more about the breadth of the collections as well as the important discoveries taking place in our state. It’s all part of the rich natural heritage we hope our communities will take the time to discover and enjoy.

This year, Behind the Scenes guests will be able to:

• learn how paleontologists use clues from fossils to investigate ancient stories of life and death.
• see recently donated mineral specimens, previously unseen by the public.
• uncover fascinating facts about Utah tarantulas, how insects teach scientists about ecology, and why mosquitoes are important to humans.
• see Fremont artifacts and talk with the scientists and students who excavated them.
• examine pot sherds, ceramic and stone tools and find out what people were doing on Utah’s west desert 12,000 years ago.
• sneak a peek inside the brand-new genetics lab and get a close up look at a MinION (portable DNA sequencing device).

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About the Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. Established in 1963, the Museum’s collections contain over 1.6 million objects and offer innovative exhibitions and educational programs to thousands of residents and visitors each year, including traveling and permanent exhibits, special events and other programs. With more than 250,000 visitors a year, the Museum also offers a variety of outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state annually. The Museum has an active scientific research program with more than 30 scientists and 10 field expeditions each year.