HOUSTON, TX—Have you ever wondered what it takes to “clean” a fossil? What exactly do our paleontologists do with them between the dig site and the exhibit? Surely they aren’t excavated as we see them behind the glass—they must first be prepared. This process is precisely what we intend to show to the public, year-round and in its fullest form, in our new Fossil Preparation Laboratory located in the Morian Hall of Paleontology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, opening Sept. 1.
A large glass window will be the only thing between museum visitors and volunteer paleontologists, cleaning fossils to be displayed. The paleontologists will be able to communicate with guests through a microphone at all times, and guests can communicate back with a press-to-talk intercom system built into the lab.
Visitors can watch as Permian era fossils are cleaned and prepared with state-of-the-art tools and technology in a lab where the air is vacuumed, filtered and recycled. These technical aspects to the process will be thoroughly explained, and guests will also see a bird’s eye view of the workspaces via camera feeds placed above the window.
Come catch a glimpse of what has never been seen before by the public, and stay to chat with the experts while exploring the wonders of fossil preservation, only at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
The Fossil Preparation Laboratory is generously supported in part by Rikki C Raflo EdD and Col. Charles P Raflo DVM.
For more information visit our website at www.hmns.org or call (713) 639-4629.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science—one of the nation’s most heavily attended museums—is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium, and George Observatory, and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at 5555 Hermann Park Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.
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