The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Staid? Insular? Outdated? Far from it! How can it be, when each year more than 200,000 spirited schoolchildren enliven its halls and galleries. On a given day the museum might welcome 1,500 to 2,000 kids of all ages, their “wows” and their “ahhhhs,” their shrieks and their laughter echoing throughout the impressive edifice. The School Visits Program is at the heart of the museum’s educational mission, providing free admission and a memorable experience that can tie into various aspects of the curriculum. A trip might take in the California History Hall where our forebears and their activities and accomplishments come alive, the spectacular explosion of shape, color, and composition in Hall of Gems and Minerals, and Dino Lab with its behind-the-scenes look at the process of discovering and preserving fossils. A host of educators, gallery interpreters, and docents are available at every turn, and curiosity carts in the galleries contain artifacts and realistic replicas of collection pieces that students can study and handle.
As history and the sciences are always evolving, so is the Museum. The largest natural and historical museum in the western United States—with an irreplaceable collection of 35 million specimens and artifacts—the Museum is presently under-going a dramatic transformation. By its centennial celebration, in 2013, 45 percent of the museum’s public space—108,000 square feet—will have been upgraded, restored, and renovated and a three-acre garden added to make the experience even more relevant and absorbing. Norris Foundation funds went to the School Visits Program and the “NHM Next” campaign to transform the Museum.