Smithsonian’s dinosaur hall to close April 28 for five-year renovation

Washington Post ^ | January 17, 2014 | J. Freedom Du Lac

[OddLane]

More than 65 million years after they went extinct, dinosaurs are about to disappear again — at least from public view in Washington.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History said Friday that its high-traffic dinosaur hall will close April 28 for a previously announced $48 million makeover. Most of the popular specimens won’t reappear until 2019, when the Fossil Hall at the world’s second-most-visited museum is reopened.

[Truth29]

By then America will have been remade in the Venezuelan model and only the party faithful will be admitted to the new Dear Leader Hall.

[Organic Panic]

5 years and 48,000,000 dollars. Yea right! 12 years and 2.4 billion dollars later and it might be completed.

[Smokin' Joe]

In the grand scheme of things, five years isn’t much time; after all, some of the fossils on display are well over 100 million years old.

Hmmm. The pennies I was going to pay my taxes with are made of metal atoms far older, so a 30-50 year delay is peanuts by this line of thought.

But the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which broke ground in February 2012, is expected to open on the Mall in November 2015 after fewer than four years. That museum will be more than 10 times the size of the dinosaur hall, whose makeover will take five years.

I guess when we have a dinosaur living in the big White House across the way, priorities will change.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks OddLane.

[xzins]

What they’re really doing is updating their “settled” science

[ArtDodger]

At one time, the Smith had a wonderful display of great animals.. huge lions, tigers.. wonderful stuff. Moved them all into storage to make room for the African American section. I asked when the great animals would be coming back out and was told no plans for that in the foreseeable future. Makes me wonder what politically correct display will be replacing the dinos.....

[Paladin2]

This is actually the fault of the Koch Bros.

[Scoutmaster]

When the exhibit of animals was closed for renovation, the Smithsonian placed a very PC sign at the spot where the exhibit was closed (first exhibit to your left when you entered the rotunda with the great elephant).

I can't remember the exact verbiage, but it said something like 'when the descriptions for these animals were written, they were written from a human's point of view, and not the animals'; this is being corrected.'

Anybody else remember that sign?

[bert]

You can still enjoy the rest of the museum and take the virtul tour from home