The Museums of Western Colorado facilities are welcoming residents and visitors to free days being held throughout May in celebration of National Museum Month. Saving the best for last, Free Day at Dinosaur Journey will be held on Friday, May 19 when the Smithsonian Institute’s traveling exhibit Titanoboa: Monster Snake opens to the public.
“We are honored to be able to bring exhibitions of the highest caliber, like Titanoboa: Monster Snake to Grand Valley residents and visitors,” says Museums’ Curator of Paleontology Julia McHugh. “I cannot imagine a more fitting way to honor National Museum Month than the opening of this exhibition.”
Titanoboa: Monster Snake will be at Dinosaur Journey through August 5. The exhibition is traveling to 15 cities on a national tour with a full-scale model of Titanoboa and paleontological evidence that delves into the discovery, reconstruction and implications of this enormous reptile. The exhibition results from a collaboration of Florida Museum of Natural History, the University of Nebraska and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and has been organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Titanoboa is being brought to Dinosaur Journey through local sponsorship by U.S. Bank, FCI Constructors Inc., and Chadwick, Steinkirchner, Davis & Co, PC.
“We’ve hosted free days earlier in May at both Cross Orchards Historic Site and Museum of the West in Grand Junction,” says Museums’ Executive Director Peter Booth. “Free days are a way to remind Mesa County residents that these museums are their museums and their heritage, and to sincerely thank residents for their support; without the people of Mesa County, we simply don’t exist. Alpine Bank has been excited to host these no-admission days, and we’re looking forward to a packed house of dinosaur and snake fans who can’t wait to learn more about Titanoboa at Dinosaur Journey on the 19th!”
Free Day at Dinosaur Journey will include four showings of the 53-minute Smithsonian Channel documentary, Titanoboa: Monster Snake; a glimpse into the film can be viewed online: http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/titanoboa-monster-snake/0/140671
Dinosaur Journey is located in Fruita, just south off of I-70. The museum will be open at no charge from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Free Day, and otherwise is open with paid admission seven days a week for the duration of the Titanoboa exhibit. For further information: www.museumofwesternco.org or Dinosaur Journey, 970-858-7282.
