The Museum of the Red River will celebrate a huge milestone when the Dinosaur Gallery and all public spaces reopen for the first time in three years after a major construction project. An Open House celebration will be held on April 27, 2019 to commemorate the event.
A major presentation will be given by Dr. Kenneth Carpenter about the most iconic object at the museum: Acrocanthosaurus atokensis. His talk will discuss the huge fossil that was discovered less than 20 miles from the museum in
the Atoka area. And Dr Carpenter is considered one of the world's foremost
experts on the predator from the Cretaceous-era.
Carolynn Neal and Dr. Robert Brooks will also identify artifacts free of charge, so be sure and bring any items you want to be viewed by experts.
The museum began the construction project in August 2016 with a goal of increasing the size of its storage facility which was 98% full. But the mission expanded to include renovation of the entire museum. Anyone who has endured a construction project will be familiar with the problem caused by setbacks and delays that extend the completion date. Thankfully, everything is ready for the Open House, and the museum is excited to welcome the public to the event.
Art classes and demonstrations will be offered throughout the day, and the state of Indiana's most popular balloon artist, Brian Getz, will also be showcasing his expertise. He was won numerous awards. Both children and adults are amazed at his skill. Children's songwriter Monty Harper will be performing as well. All of these activities are completely free of charge and open to everyone. The Open House will also feature the Dondoko Taiko drummers at 10 am and flutist Tim Nevaquaya.