Stan Moves to Farmington as Museum Prepares for Dynamic Bisti Beast

April 23rd, 2019

(Albuquerque, New Mexico) -- The lobby at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is evolving dramatically over the next few weeks, the beginning of many upgrades planned at the state’s most popular museum through the end of the year.  These include upgrades to the Planetarium, Volcano and Earthquake exhibits later in the fall. The most obvious changes will greet visitors immediately as soon as they walk into the atrium.

Stan, the beloved T.rex, who has resided in the lobby of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS) since 2007, is moving on to greener pastures as the museum prepares for the installation of new dynamic Bisti Beast in May. Named after Stan Sacrison, the paleontologist who discovered him, Stan is a replica of a dinosaur that lived about 66 million years ago whose fossilized bones were found near Buffalo, South Dakota in 1987.

This week Museum exhibit crews are disassembling Stan and packing him up to move to the Farmington Museum where he will remain on loan through May 2020. Known for regional history, culture and exhibitions, the Farmington Museum has adequate space to display the giant T.rex which stands 12 feet high and 40 feet long. Stan will travel to Farmington on April 23. He will be carefully rebuilt and installed at the museum for visitors to enjoy. Later, Stan begins a multiyear tour to bring pleasure and education to rural New Mexicans.

In Stan’s place, the NMMNHS will present New Mexico’s own Bistahieversor robotic dinosaur created based on the Bistihievor specimen discovered in 1997 in the Bisti/De-na-zin Wilderness in the Four Corners by museum research associate Paul Sealey. The Bisti Beast fossil was excavated in 1998, collected by NMMNHS Curator of Palentology, Thomas Williamson, Ph.D.

The life-size dynamic Bisti Beast will take Stan’s place in the Museum atrium when it arrives from Japan in May. Look for the Bisti Beast on full exhibition beginning in July 2019. It will become one of the museum’s key attractions, as the replica of a dinosaur that was indigenous to New Mexico. (prior news releases: http://media.newmexicoculture.org/release/817/bring-new-mexicos-bisti-beast-home-in-a-

“These are significant changes, and the first we’ve had in a long time at the Museum,” said Margie Marino, NMMNSH Executive Director. “We’re thrilled the Farmington Museum will share Stan with visitors in the Four Corners region. And, we’re extremely excited to welcome the dynamic Bisti Beast, a New Mexico dinosaur to enhance our visitors’ experience. There’s a whole new reason to bring the children to the Natural History Museum this summer. Keep an eye out for time-lapse photography of the changes on our website and Facebook pages.”

Check the Museum website & Facebook Page for updates on the lobby renovation:

• http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org.


• https://www.facebook.com/NMMNHS/

Link to April 22, 2019 video approved for media use by NM Dept. of Cultural Affairs:

https://youtu.be/0C-ajRoFoxQ -- Time Lapse video of crews dismantling Stan the dinosaur in NM Museum of Natural History & Science atrium.

Link to Interviews shot on 4/22/19 https://youtu.be/Aicvu7sR5hs

• Museum Executive Director Margie Marino


• Curator of Paleontology Thomas Williamson Ph.D.


• Curator of Exhibits David Lundy

 

Link to Video of Dynamic Dinosaur: (approved for media use by NM Dept. of Cultural Affairs)  https://vimeo.com/282669292

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Trustees of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation, through the generous support of donors.

Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater.

 

1801 Mountain Road NW, northeast of Historic Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 841-2800.  Open seven days a week 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. , closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  Events, news releases and images about activities at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and other divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.