The Natural History Museum has a new “front porch.” NHM Commons is a $75 million project being announced this weekend that aims to make the facility more attractive and accessible to the local community. Located at the west end of the museum, this space consists of a cafe, lobby, welcome center, theater, gallery, and outdoor garden. Here’s what you can expect on your visit:
A new glass façade seamlessly connects the museum and Exposition Park, offering a peek into Gnathalie, also known as the “Green Dinosaur” (more on her below) from the outside, and from the inside. Enjoy views of Exposition Park, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and Los Angeles. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art seems to be getting closer to completion by the day.
Once you enter, take the escalator to the second floor of the Judith Pearlstein Welcome Center. The center is both a destination and a gateway to the museum, offering a free mini-museum experience (no tickets are required to explore the handful of museums). number of displays). The star of the show here is Gunataly. “Gu” is silent like “gnat”. One of the new sauropod species, it was discovered in Utah in 2007 and took more than a decade to excavate by interns, volunteers, and an international team. staff. The most complete sauropod skeleton on the West Coast and the only green fossil specimen in the world, she measures over 75 feet long. Although her bones don’t look as green as you’d expect from the marketing (well, they’re green at all), they’re noticeably lighter than the dark brown skeletons of other dinosaurs found in museums. About the mineral celadonite.
Photo: Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Across from Gunatalye is the 80-foot-long mural “LA History: A Mexican Perspective” by Barbara Carrasco. Originally created in 1981 to commemorate LA’s 200th anniversary, it has been in storage, but now it has finally found a permanent home. The 51 illustrations woven into the flowing hair of La Reina de los Ángeles tell the story of the city from ancient times to the 1980s. Not only are some of Los Angeles’ biggest attractions depicted, including Grand Central Market, the Hollywood Sign, Santa Monica Pier, and Angel’s Flight, but also some of the darker parts of Los Angeles’ history. At the time, Carrasco had to fight censorship to keep these contents on the mural, including references to the 1871 Chinese Massacre, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots. It didn’t happen. To have their stories told,” she said at a preview this week.
Photo: Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County © Benny Chan
Last but not least, take a look at the temporary interactive exhibits dedicated to NHM’s community science efforts, specifically the study of biodiversity in our backyard. The ticket booth and entrance to the museum are located at the far end of the Welcome Center.
Also located on the second floor is the WM Keck Theater Gallery. Currently on display is “Collective Knowledge,” which spotlights some of the Natural History Museum’s collection of 35 million objects through close-up photography by National Geographic’s Craig Cutler and Scott Bremner. is. The entrance to the Commons Theater is at the back of the gallery.
The theater hosts a program of performances, animal encounters, films and lecture series. T.REX 3-D, a 22-minute family film that brings the museum’s Thomas the Rex story to life through narration by Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill, will be shown daily starting November 18th. A large-scale puppet show that will take you back in time and experience the underwater world opens on November 23rd. Both shows cost $10, which includes museum admission.
Photo: Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County © Benny Chan
Outside the NHM Commons is a newly renovated community plaza. The museum worked with the Tribal Advisory Council to proactively recognize the homeland lands on which the museum is located. To that end, there is a sustainable garden with two new oak trees and an installation by Tongva artist Lázaro Arviz Jr. that pays homage to the first Angelenos, the Tongva people.
For a bite to eat, head to South LA Café, the newest location in a local mini-chain run by Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace, a couple with roots in the area. In fact, Joe spent his summers at the museum as a child. And the moment I came full circle, I realized it and got emotional. He now helps bring the community into the museum himself through the café. The highlight of the menu is the Gnatalie Matcha Latte. And of course, there’s the gift shop, stocked with products from local artists and artisans, as well as Gnathalie merchandise.
NHM Commons will welcome the adjacent Lucas Museum ahead of its opening in 2026 and the return of the Summer Olympics to the Coliseum in 2028. Be sure to check out our grand opening ceremony and block party this weekend, Sunday, November 17th, starting at 9am. From 1.30am to 5.30pm. This free indoor-outdoor event will fill the space with food, music, hands-on activities, artist workshops, meet-and-greets with scientists, and more.
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