May 21, 2007 10:28 pm US/Eastern
$36M Project Revamps Home For Carnegie Dinos
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Big changes are in the works for the dinosaur hall at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
This fall, dino fans will find a new and spectacular home for the old bones.
Palentologists are having a ball directing the $36 million project – the largest renovation at the museum since its founding in 1895.
"This'll be pretty much the closest thing you can get to actually going back in time and seeing dinosaurs interacting with each other," Assistant Curator Dr. Matt Lamanna said.
With a central soaring atrium, this exhibit will be three times larger than the old dinosaur hall. When it's completed, kids will be able to wander through the Mesozoic, Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. Every tree and fern will be scientifically accurate.
The huge but fragile skeletons have undergone extreme makeovers. All of the old varnished was removed and life-like poses were determined. Crates of bones wait to be reassembled by Phil Fraley Productions, based in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The museum expects a 40 percent increase in visitors once "Dinosaurs In Their World" opens. For the first six months there will be extended hours and timed-ticketing to prevent long lines.
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