SWAU OPENS DINOSAUR SCIENCE MUSEUM

Southwestern Adventist University is pleased to announce the grand opening of the new Dinosaur Science Museum and Research Center.  Located in the bottom floor of the University’s Scales Science Hall, the Museum is home to more than 20,000 dinosaur bones, interactive displays, skeleton replicas, a 3d printer, videos, and opportunities to observe the preservation process.  The new space allows for better on-going preservation and research on the bones as well as enhanced educational opportunities for the DFW community.

For more than 20 years, Southwestern Adventist University Professor Dr. Art Chadwick and various faculty, students, and science community members have been excavating upper Cretaceous dinosaur bones from the Hanson Research Center in eastern Wyoming.  The bones, on loan from the Hanson family, are then transported back to the University campus for preparation, curation, and research.  The collection has been featured in many research projects, presentations at the Geological Society of America, and in numerous videos and documentaries, including National Geographic.

“This is something we’ve worked towards for many years,” says Chadwick. “From the beginning, this project has been about preserving the bones for educational and research purposes.  Our website allows people from all over the world to access these bones.  Now the museum gives our students and community the opportunity to learn from them too.”

The grand opening occurred this last weekend with visitors from the Hanson Research Station, the governing body of the dig site, visiting from Wyoming.  The Museum was often full to capacity during the weekend.  Dr. Art Chadwick presented a lecture on the Dinosaur Research Project history, as part of the Saxon Lecture Series in Science and Religion, and the Keene Chamber of Commerce and local community leaders participated in a ribbon-cutting as part of the festivities.  Prizes were awarded for the use of the Museum hashtag #SWAUdinos.

The museum is free and open to the public.  School groups are encouraged.  Arrangements for tours can be made by calling 817-202-6336.  Regular hours will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00-3:00pm and Sundays from 1:00-5:00pm.  Visitors are encouraged to park in the Chan Shun Centennial Library parking lot on the corner of Magnolia and College Drive, and follow the dinosaur signs to the museum.  Check out swau.edu/dinosaurmuseum for museum highlights, news, and holiday hours. 

Discover more about the Dinosaur Museum and Southwestern's Biological Sciences Department!