US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide - (Page 21)

Clockwise from top left: The Age of Mammals exhibit tells a 65-million-year-old story of evolution; visitors discover wildlife in the Nature Gardens; a large-scale T. rex puppet. But the Natural History Museum's transformation isn't just about new construction. Many of the exhibits have been completely redesigned. The new 14,000-square-foot Dinosaur Hall is twice as big as the museum's old dinosaur gallery and houses 300 fossils and 20 completely mounted specimens. The exhibit's highlight is a T. rex growth series, comprised of three extraordinary Tyrannosaurus fossils: the youngest known baby; a rare juvenile; and a recently discovered young adult, Thomas the T. rex. The hall's multi-media stations provide an in-depth look at the fossils. "I would argue that we have the best fossil halls in the world right now," Wise says. "It's a seminal collection and it tells a really important story. Our best, most scientiﬁcally important pieces are out there on display." The Age of Mammals installation is based on a deceptively simple concept: continents move, climates change, and mammals evolve. Thoughtful and theatrical, the exhibit's focal points include a 20,000-year-old mastodon, a saber-toothed cat, and the ﬁrst known paleoparadoxiid (literally, "mystery mammal"), which looks a bit like a cross between an elephant and a manatee. Age of Mammals beneﬁts greatly from the fact that the Natural History Museum also runs the Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits, home to many skeletonpreserving tar seeps. And there's much more to explore here. The museum is home to the largest gem and mineral exhibit west of the Mississippi and the only active diorama program in the U.S. For visitors from out of town, it's an important introduction to one of the world's great cities. "It's a great place to start your journey," Pisano says. "It's a great place to get to know Los Angeles - and the planet." 900 Exposition Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 213.763.DINO nhm.org NHM is the ofﬁcial downtown Los Angeles Tourism Visitor Information Center. Exit Metro Expo Line at the Expo/Vermont or Expo Park/USC station. See map on page 101; more information at metro.net. discoverLosAngeles.com 21 http://www.nhm.org http://www.nhm.org http://www.metro.net http://www.metro.net http://www.discoverLosAngeles.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide

US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide
Contents
Culture Thrives in the City of Angels
Art, Dance, History, Music, Theater: Downtown LA Has it All
Bask in Surrounding Glory
For More Inspiration, Go West
Discover the Next Stage
Rest Assured

US Airways - Los Angeles Culture Guide