Brigham Young University

Bean Life Science Museum: A Visitor's Guide

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• published: 05 Jun 2014
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Now Open! The free-admission Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, re-opened June 7, 2014, after a two-year renovation project. The museum features a 32,400 square foot expansion and new exhibits. Admission to the museum is free. See mlbean.byu.edu for hours and schedules for live animal shows and other events. "We are so excited to introduce the public to the new Bean Museum," said Museum Director Larry St. Clair. "It is a beautiful facility and a great place to explore and learn more about the wonderful creatures of our world." Visitors to the museum's 32,400 square foot expansion and renovated facility will be able to explore even more of the earth's ecosystems and biodiversity through new exhibits, including: Our Living Planet -- the unique, life-sustaining characteristics of planet Earth, featuring an eight-foot-in-diameter fiberglass globe, mapped with the most current NASA satellite images. Life on Top: Apex Predators -- see what it's like to live at the top of the food chain with this display of animals as they might be found in the wild. Whooo Lives Here? -- play area designed just for toddlers that teaches young children about animal homes with a talking owl, a bear cave and a tree nest with slide. Fred and Sue Morris Bird Gallery -- a collection of more than 100 species of birds donated by Fred and Sue Morris. Boyd K. Packer Gallery -- this exhibit features the wildlife art of President Boyd K. Packer, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including animal carvings and paintings. The expanded facility also has a new orientation room and two new classrooms that will be used for outreach programs for local schools. The research and collections facility has been expanded and secured. There is a new wet collections facility for ethanol-preserved collections including fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects and mammals. In all, there are 2.8 million specimens housed in the museum. The new addition was paid for by donor contributions. About the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum Located on the campus of Brigham Young University at 645 East 1430 North in Provo, UT, the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum has a collection of 2.8 million specimens, the oldest dating back to 1900, carefully maintained and made available to research scientists and educators, with exhibits and educational programs for the public. The museum is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thanks to an endowment started by a generous donation by Monte L. and Birdie Bean, the museum originally opened in March 1978, and admission is always free. See mlbean.byu.edu