Wednesday, July 13, 2011 | 5:56 p.m.
The Details
- Las Vegas Natural History Museum
- 900 Las Vegas Blvd. N., 384-3446
- Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., $5-$10
It’s hard to get excited about a rhynchotherium skull when you have prehistoric dioramas to wrap your head around. Then there are the live snakes, sharks and stingrays, an ancient Egyptian exhibit and a mind-blowing taxidermy collection—more stuffed animals than you could ever imagine. But once you’ve peeled away from all of that, once you’ve extracted and exhausted every kernel of information from extinct primates and the eat-or-be-eaten animal world at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, pay a visit to the reportedly most-intact rhynchotherium skull in the world. It’s the least you can do for a prehistoric mammal that preceded the modern elephant but never gained the popularity of the woolly mammoth—despite having four tusks, rather than two. This rhynchotherium roamed the state of Arizona three million years ago, and its skull was found on a ranch there in the 1980s; it was donated to the museum by a former board member through the Joshua Reid Anderson Foundation, which also funded its restoration. Saturday might be good time to visit; in honor of its 20th anniversary, the museum is offering half-price tickets.
- The 40,000-square-foot Museum is committed to providing multiple family-friendly educational programs focused on the sciences, environment, natural history, humanities and Nevada as an accredited nonprofit museum with the American Alliance of Museums, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers.
- Its nearby federal and state of Nevada repository is committed to increasing understanding of the past through the preservation, curation and research of fossils and archaeological artifacts recovered in Nevada.
- Through compliance with the standards and best practices in the field, the Museum will continue to develop characteristics of excellence as it strives toward world-class museum standards.
- To meet the needs of a growing community, the Museum will ensure good stewardship of collections and continue to evolve to reflect community visitor-centered best practices.
- While ensuring the financial stability of the organization, the interests, values and sensibilities of families will always serve as the core for Museum programming. Admission fees and hours of operation of the Museum will also allow for maximum accessibility for the Las Vegas community.
- To best share the valuable resources available through the Museum, the Museum team will promote and effectively communicate with the public about its cultural, historic and scientific programs and exhibitions.
- The Dinosaur Ball is the Museum’s annual fundraiser that raises much-needed support for Museum programming.
- The Museum Partnership Program provides unforgettable museum experiences and year-round benefits. Partnerships are available at $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000—or contact us to customize your partner perks to meet your goals and interests. Learn more at lvnhm.org/museum-partnership-program.
- Be part of history, one brick at a time. The walkway into the Museum is made up of permanent bricks that can be engraved for $250 per brick.
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