New displays, kiosks open at Great Plains Dinosaur Museum this Saturday

The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum will be holding a special event on Saturday, September 13, 2104 and invite everyone to join them between 5 and 7 PM that evening at the museum.

Special guests for the evening will be Art Andersen and his wife Karen from Chicago. Anderson is well known and respected in the specialized world of industrial imaging and worked with associates from Eastman Kodak to utilized technology called computed radiography to look inside of the fossil Leonardo, the Mummy Dinosaur. He has been working most recently with the staff at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum to create a digital presentation that can be viewed on a new kiosk computer at the museum. The kiosk will allow visitors to learn about Leonardo and the ongoing scientific research on the fossil. While the Leonardo fossil is on loan to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the augmented display at GPDM includes both a full scale and 1/10th scale replica of Leonardo created with digital modeling by Andersen.

The museum will honor their landowner partners throughout Phillips County who have allowed GPDM to explore and excavate fossils on their property and special recognition will be given to the Montana Department of Commerce and their Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP.) The TIIP program has provided matching grant funds to GPDM that has provided new exterior and interior dinosaur sculptures, new interactive displays (such as the kiosk mentioned above) and much need equipment and storage upgrades for the facility.

A new display sponsored by Sandy Holden, Billings, MT, will be unveiled at 5:45 PM. “Crocodiles: Predators of Land and Sea” feature fossil crocodile remains including “Arrow,” a young terminonaris crocodile found in Montana. Introductions and Anderson’s presentation will also be made at this time.

GPDM board members and staff are providing light appetizers and Gina and Scott Simanton of the Liquor Haven will man the wine and beverage bar. The evening is open to the public at no cost but tips or donations are welcome. Board members will also be taking pledges for 2015 memberships.

For additional information, please contact Sue Frary by calling 406.654.5300 or email GPDM at [email protected]