Father's Day at The NAT

This Father's Day make it special and visit the San Diego Natural History Museum with Dad! 

On Sunday June 17th in honor of Father's Day The NAT will have FREE admission for Dad's with purchase of a full-priced child/youth ticket for General Admission.*

Enjoy the newest exhibit: The Horse a comprehensive exhibition on the enduring bond between horses and humanity, opened at the San Diego Natural History Museum on June 1, 2012, and will remain on view through January 20, 2013. 

The Horse explores early interactions between horses and humans and shows how horses have, over time, influenced civilization including major changes in warfare, trade, transportation, agriculture, sports, and many other facets of human life. The exhibition, which has never before been seen on the West Coast, is included with general Museum admission.

“The Horse coming to the west is special; the horse, we should all remember, is how we got here,” says Joe Harper, CEO, president and general manager of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “Horses are at the very core of what America is all about. They are a large part of our history and they live on with us today as both symbol and reality of all the things that are good and true and strong in our society. I’d encourage all locals and San Diego visitors to do their insides and their insights a favor and go see The Horse.”

The exhibition showcases spectacular fossils, models, dioramas, and cultural objects from around the world. Visitors entering the exhibition are immediately captivated by a high-definition video projection of a beautiful thoroughbred horse moving across a giant screen. A large-scale video and computer interactive allows visitors to peek inside a life-size, moving horse to learn about its anatomy and biology. They also encounter a 220-square-foot diorama depicting some of the horse species that existed ten million years ago in what is now Nebraska, and representations of the horse in art from the Paleolithic to the present. The exhibition also examines exciting new archaeological discoveries concerning the domestication of the horse and looks at the role of horses in sport, from medieval times on.

For more detailed information on The NAT please click here

*Offer valid only on Sunday June 17, 2012. Good for new sales, no retroactive discounts, offer non-transferable. All sales are final. This offer does not include our Titanic exhibition, but Dad can get a discounted ticket to the exhibition (again, with the purchace of one regularly priced admission ticket).

Blue Whale Season

The San Diego Natural History Museum in partnership with H and M Landing  offers a fleeting opportunity to see the biggest animal on the planet—ever. 

Photo Courtesy of SDNHM and taken by: Diane Cullins.

Blue whales—the largest mammal, and possibly the largest animal to ever inhabit Earth—can be spotted swimming and feeding off the coast of California from mid-June through October. With increasing populations, and the presence of their food in local waters, the blue whale has become a recent regular local visitor in the summer just offshore from Point Loma, San Diego. At over 100 feet in length, this leviathan is incredible to observe in the wild.

According to Captain Frank Ursitti with Pacific SeaFari, “Many Southern Californians are familiar with the migration of the Pacific gray whale. This species has the longest migration of any animal on Earth and we are fortunate here in Southern California to be able to observe both south- and north-bound migrations. This occurs just offshore between the months of December through April. What few know about, and are fortunate to witness, is the presence of blue whales off our coast in summer months.” Seeing blue whales near San Diego is an opportunity that may not last for long.

Says Ursitti, “We are currently in a cooler water cycle. As a result of deep-water upwellings, these cooler water temps are nutrient-rich and set the stage for massive plankton blooms, which in turn provide ideal conditions for krill to flourish in the region.” Every year the krill congregate in different places, following the cool waters and these massive blooms. Blue whales thrive on krill—an example of one of the largest animals on our planet surviving by consuming one of the smallest.

There are only a few places on the planet where one can observe this behemoth, and San Diego is currently one of the premier destinations.

“In the past people who wanted a blue whale adventure had to go far and away to see them. Now they can see blue whales just off-shore in San Diego, which is not only a convenient location but a world-class destination, offering so much more for people to do and see than other areas where one can see blue whales: museums, beaches, restaurants, and all types of outdoor activities" said Phil Lobred, GM for H and M Landing in San Diego.

H&M Landing, has been conducting whale watching for the last 50 years, offers Pacific SeaFari blue whale-watching adventures every Thursday and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. The first cruise for the 2012 summer season will be on Sunday, June 17. The season will end in mid-October.

“What sets Pacific SeaFari tours apart from others offering this activity in the area is that all trips are fully narrated by experienced captains who have been observing wildlife offshore for decades. Many captains traverse the waters south of the border and miles offshore throughout the year and have an unparalleled background in wildlife observation and interpretation as a result."

Additionally, in partnership with the San Diego Natural History Museum, the cruises exclusively include commentary and interpretation with the museum’s trained volunteer staff of shipboard naturalists, the “Whalers.” There is no comparison with the experience of a SeaFari tour to that of harbor cruise offered by others in the region,” promises Judy Lawrence, Lead Whaler.

The journey out to sea begins with a tour of historic San Diego Bay, once a favorite breeding ground and calving lagoon for gray whales. Now a strategic military and viable commercial port, San Diego Bay is an eclectic waterfront. On the way out to sea and back, adventurers also have the opportunity to see fin whales, humpback whales, dolphins, sea lions, sea birds, and other marine life. “Once encountered, sometimes the whales themselves are as curious with us as we are with them,” says Capt. Ursitti.

“Not too long ago we encountered a pod of orca whales just eight miles offshore. It would have been easy to mistake this pod for a group of escapees from SeaWorld, as the hour-long activity was nonstop breaching, spy hopping, and lob tailing,” recounted Ursitti. “On another day a pod of seven humpback whales snuggled right up to the boat and continued swimming circles around the boat until it was time for us to go home.”

Since 1954 H and M Landing has been considered the West Coast marine natural-history headquarters. All of H&M’s vessels are U.S. Coast Guard-inspected and documented.

Shipboard accommodations include seating, comfortable lounges, a budget-conscious snack bar and outdoor viewing. SeaFari vessels are comfortable, with a limited number of adventurers on board, thus offering the most rewarding experience available. The crews on each boat are experienced, knowledgeable and accessible to guests.

Tickets to the 6-hour cruises are:

$80 for adults 

$55 for children (15 and under). 

Tickets can be purchased at the San Diego Natural History Museum and H and M Landing. Both H&M and the Museum will be selling special discount “combo packages” to visit the Museum and visit the whales ($90 for adults and $60 for children 3–12; not valid on separately priced exhibitions). Packages can be purchased by calling the Museum at 877.946.7797. 

For more information click here or visit H&M Landing.

Spring Break {part II}

One of our favorite Museums in Balboa Park is the San Diego Natural History Museum  a.k.a The NAT. My kids love their permanent exhibits with fossils, but also I love their traveling exhibits like "All That Glitters" -which closes April 8th-. Every visit to the NAT is always different and there are many ways for kids to enjoy the visit.

Here are some special events that the NAT will be hosting over Spring Break.

San Diego Natural History Museum Honors President and CEO for 20 Years of Service to Museum and Community with Fossil Days Special Events for Public, Museum Members

Sunday March 25th - Sunday April 1st 

The NAT will host a variety of events ranging from giveaway prizes at the admissions desks to a fundraising gala, all in honor of Dr. Michael Hager, the Museum’s President and CEO, who during this fiscal year celebrates his 20-year anniversary as leader of the institution.

During Fossil Days, visitors who dress up in a dinosaur costume will receive free general admission on that day (offer does not include admission toTitanic: The Artifact Exhibition). Visitors will be able to watch the 3D film Sea-Rex 3D, draw their favorite dinosaurs at a coloring station, receive a free dinosaur-themed gift at the Visitor Services desks (while supplies last), enjoy special offers at the Dinosaur Café, take a tour of the Museum’s Paleontology Department (first-come, first served; times posted on the Museum’s website), watch Museum paleontologists at work doing research in the Hazard Family Demonstration Lab, or take a Docent tour of the Museum’s Fossil Mysteries exhibition.

“When Mick was hired in 1991 the Museum was in a dire financial condition and experiencing an identity crisis,” said Thomas Deméré, Ph.D., who is the Museum’s Curator of Paleontology and a longtime friend of Hager. “Twenty years later, the Museum has doubled in physical size, regained its focus as a regional institution, developed a healthy mix of new permanent and temporary exhibitions, and emerged as a leader in binational research and education. It is unlikely that these accomplishments would have been achieved without someone with Mick’s vision, work ethic, and contagious enthusiasm. For these reasons and many more, we are taking the time to celebrate Mick’s stewardship of our 138-year-old institution.” 

Museum visitors during Fossil Days, especially the youngest ones, will be among the first to visit the all-new Camp-o-Saurus play area designed by the Museum’s exhibition staff. Camp-o-Saurus is a “dinosaur campground” with tents, robotic butterflies, a plush “campfire pit,” books, and a dinosaur’s nest for kids to play in. There will be chairs and benches for parents and grandparents to relax nearby while the kids safely play.

Thursday March 29th 

At 7:30 PM paleontologist Jack Horner, a longtime friend of Dr. Hager’s and one of the world’s most renowned dinosaur paleontologists, will give a lecture entitled “Growing up a Dinosaur.” Horner is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship “genius grant.” He also served as the technical adviser for all three Jurassic Park movies and is the inspiration for the movie's lead character, Dr. Alan Grant. There will be a booksigning after the lecture. Tickets for the lecture are $12 per person, or $8 for Museum Members. Registration is available by phone at 619.255.0210 or here.

More information about Fossil Days is available  here. More information about the Fossil Ball, including ticket and table information, click   here.

The San Diego Natural History Museum is the second oldest scientific institution in California and the third oldest west of the Mississippi. Founded in 1874 by a small group of citizen scientists, the Museum’s mission is to interpret the natural world through research, education and exhibits; to promote understanding of the evolution and diversity of southern California and the peninsula of Baja California, Mexico; and to inspire in all people respect for the environment.

Fossil Days Schedule:

Sunday, March 25

All Day                  Opening of Camp-o-Saurus

15% off all toy or youth items in the Alex and Elizabeth Wise Museum Store

10 AM                                   Dinosaur Egg Hunt on the North Lawn—Members-only!

10 AM–noon                      Fossil Family Day— Members-only!

               

Thursday, March 29

10:15 AM                             Nature and Me Storytime, featuring a dino tale!

7:30–9 PM                           Lecture and booksigning with dinosaur paleontologist Jack Horner

                                                Nonmembers: $12; Members: $8

                                                Register  here or call 619.255.0210.

Saturday, March 31

6 PM                                      Fossil Ball, honoring Museum President and CEO, Dr. Michael Hager

                                                Ticket and table information: www.sdnhm.org/fossil-ball

Sunday, April 1

12:15 and                             Ms. Frizzle—Dinos!

2:15 PM                               

For more information on admission and hours visit here and don't forget to stop by their wonderful gift shop which sells excellent gifts for any age :)