OTTAWA, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It’s time to again unleash the dinosaurs! The Canadian Museum of Nature will reopen its doors Saturday, September 5 (Labour Day weekend) following an extended closure due to the COVID pandemic. Visitors can once again rediscover the magic of dinosaurs, the majesty of a blue whale, the mysteries of the Arctic, the amazing diversity of Canadian wildlife and more. Members will be treated to a special preview on August 29 and 30.
All of the museum’s permanent galleries will be open, and a new attraction hanging in the Atrium will be sure to capture attention—a stunning 7-metre representation of the Earth called Gaia, created by British artist Luke Jerram (its unveiling has been delayed from Earth Day in April).
On September 25, the museum will then launch the world-premiere of Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages. This special exhibition, produced by the museum, features more than 120 real specimens, amazing models and artifacts that explore the power of ice and cold in shaping the world we live in today—all while taking a journey across more than 80,000 years of earth’s history. The exhibition will have a limited run until January 3, 2021, when it will start its international tour.
Museum staff have planned for and will implement enhanced measures and modified procedures to ensure the health and safety of visitors. Following public health guidelines, these will include timed-online ticketing, wearing of mandatory masks indoors, physical distancing, increased frequency of cleaning and directional signage.
New hours of operation will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (also open Labour Day Monday), with the first hour on weekends (10 a.m. to 11 a.m) reserved for members. Tickets can be reserved in 15-minute time slots: reduced capacity will ensure a maximum of 250 people at any given time, so there will be more space to roam and to avoid congestion. Free admission is offered the last hour on weekdays, but visitors will still be required to reserve an online ticket.
Some high-touch interactive areas such as the Bird Care Clinic, the Arctic Research Vessel and the Nature Café will remain closed for now. Given the stacked 4-floor layout of the museum’s century-old building, visitors will follow a path that takes them up one side of the museum and down the other. In addition, a welcome tent will be set up outside the main doors to process tickets and control access.
Complete details for visiting the reopened museum are available at nature.ca.
The museum also continues to offer a variety of virtual activities and programs on its web site, nature.ca. Just launched is a stunning 3D, 360 virtual tour of the museum that visitors can explore at their own pace. More than 80,000 images using a 360 degree camera were stitched together for this amazing online experience. Try it out at nature.ca/360e.
About the Canadian Museum of Nature:
The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada's national museum of natural history and natural sciences. The museum provides evidence-based insights, inspiring experiences and meaningful engagement with nature's past, present and future. It achieves this through scientific research, a 14.6-million-specimen collection, education programs, signature and travelling exhibitions, and a dynamic web site, nature.ca. The museum is located at 240 McLeod Street (at Metcalfe St.), Follow the museum on Twitter (@museumofnature), Instagram (museumofnature) and Facebook (facebook.com/Canadianmuseumofnature).
Information for media:
Dan Smythe
Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Nature
613-698-9253 (cell)
dsmythe@nature.ca
John Swettenham
Chief Marketing Officer
Canadian Museum of Nature
613-868-8277 (cell)
jswettenham@nature.ca