goSmithsonian - February 2009 - (Page 38) IMAX ® The Johnson IMAX® Theater, accessed from the first floor, transports visitors back through time to the days of the dinosaurs. The theater features a sixstory-high screen, stadium seating and six-channel digital sound. ■ Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia 3D ■ Deep Sea 3D Call for current information about special evening and weekend films: 202.633.IMAX (4629), or visit www.si.edu/imax “Nature’s Best Photography Awards: 2008” (closes May 3) Wildlife, up close and personal. These stunning winners of the 2008 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice Awards celebrate the beauty of nature while recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship. “The Evolution Trail” Why are dinosaurs extinct? Why do giraffes have long necks? Why do flowers come in many colors? Follow Iggy the Iguana on the Evolution Trail throughout the museum to find the answers. “Coastal America Ocean Art Contest” (closes March 29) View the winning works—paintings, drawings, photographs and collages—of students. “Ants!” (opens May 30) Get a look at life from an ant’s point of view. GROUND FLOOR BIRDS OF WASHINGTON, D.C. A collection of 500 species of mounted birds found throughout the District of Columbia includes the 3-inch-long golden-crowned kinglet and the 16-inch pileated woodpecker. FIRST FLOOR At the rotunda’s center is one of the museum’s signature artifacts, the 8-ton, 14-foot-tall African bull elephant, which has been on display since 1959. Today, it can be seen in a setting similar to its native habitat. SANT OCEAN HALL All life—including yours—depends on the ocean. The vast ocean covers more than two-thirds of the planet. Beneath its waves lies an amazing diversity of habitats, from coral reefs to polar seas. Among the many fascinating exhibits within the hall are a fullscale model of a North Atlantic right whale named Phoenix, a 1,500-gallon aquarium featuring a live Indo-Pacific coral reef ecosystem, a 26-footlong Northwest Coast canoe and two giant squid specimens. DISCOVERY ROOM In the popular Discovery Room, located near the “African Voices” exhibition, find fossils, skulls, shells and minerals, as well as hands-on activities especially designed for families with children. Check out the “Biodiversity W featuring plants all,” and animals found in the Washington, D.C. area. Regular hours: Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 2:30; Friday, 10:30 to 2:30; Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 to 3:30; closed Mondays. Free timed-entry passes, available at the door, are distributed on busy days. KENNETH E. BEHRING FAMILY HALL OF MAMMALS Featuring 274 masterfully crafted taxidermic specimens, nearly a dozen fossil casts and several dramatic interactive displays, this 25,000-square-foot exhibition tells the story of the evolution of mammals and how they adapted to different habitats, from the sweltering desert to the bonechilling poles. Trilobites became extinct about 251 million years ago. Find this fossilized specimen in the new “Sant Ocean Hall.” 38 goSmithsonian.com http://www.si.edu/imax http://www.goSmithsonian.com
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