Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice Roars Into Minnesota Children’s Museum Exhibit Runs Through May 31, 2010

Exhibit Utilizes New Research to Create Distinct Dinosaur Environments

Long before the Midwest was populated by corn fields and cows, dinosaurs roamed the land.  A brand-new exhibit created by Minnesota Children’s Museum will allow children and adults to explore dinosaur habitats to better understand how these mysterious animals lived and use inquiry skills to examine what they left behind. Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice, opening, December 19, transports families back to the Cretaceous Period (145 – 65 million years ago), the time when dinosaurs last lived on earth. Children will go face-to-face with the prehistoric world and meet dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. The exhibit, created for children ages 3 – 10, will feature two distinct environments and a variety of activities.  A Field Research Station allows children to step into the role of paleontologist by uncovering fossils with brushes and creating drawings of the dinosaur environment using fossil rubbings and tracings. The steamy “Land of Fire” connects visitors with prehistoric home of the Triceratops and T-Rex. Children can circle the land in insect costumes and buzz through a volcano with oozing lava. Work through a swampy bog and climb into a Troodon’s nest and play with dinosaur eggs. No coats are needed for a trip across the “Land of Ice” where visitors meet two dinosaurs, a Pachycephalosaurus and Edmontosaurus, who made their homes in the cold climate of Alaska. Activities include: climbing rocky steps, breezing down an icy slide, and hoping across stepping stones in an icy river. Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice utilizes new research about climates in which dinosaurs were able to survive and thrive. The discovery of numerous species of dinosaurs in the arctic is causing scientists to reconsider old theories about dinosaurs only living in tropical climates.  It is now known that many dinosaurs, including Edmontosaurus and Troodon, lived in cold weather climates for at least part of the year.  Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice is the first child-centered exhibit in the country dedicated to expanding the understanding on dinosaur habitat and range. The exhibit will run through May 31, 2010. More information:

MINNESOTA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Minnesota Children’s Museum is a non-profit community educational organization committed to smart play: sparking children’s learning through play. Infants ages six months through children age 10 discover their world through hands-on exhibits in five permanent galleries: Our World connects children to people and places in their community as they role play “grown–ups” in a child-size environment; World Works encourages creativity and problem-solving through investigation and experimentation; Earth World immerses children in lifelike Minnesota habitats to nurture an understanding of the natural world; Habitot® enables infants and toddlers to safely explore four developmentally designed learning landscapes; and Rooftop ArtPark brings nature and art together in an outdoor gallery on the Museum’s fourth floor. Two special galleries offer exciting traveling exhibits from around the world. Fun drop-in programs such as Story Time and Big Fun! take place daily. Kid Spark, the Museum store, is located in the first floor lobby.  Minnesota Children’s Museum has been providing children and adults with a fun, educational environment since 1981. The Museum is located at Seventh and Wabasha streets in downtown St. Paul.  For 24-hour information, visit www.MCM.org or call 651-225-6000.