Exhibitions

GREATER YELLOWSTONE ADVENTURE

The Greater Yellowstone Adventure in the Draper Museum of Natural History is comprised of three interconnected galleries - Expedition Trailhead, Alpine-to-Plains Trail and Seasons of Discovery. The exhibit development was supported in part by the National Science Foundation. The exhibits are designed to physically, intellectually, and emotionally engage today's diverse audiences.

Our approach is to incorporate participatory experiences - "please touch" opportunities, hands-on mechanical activities, and computer-assisted interactives - with more traditional object-centered and audiovisual experiences. Visitors become explorers in the Greater Yellowstone Adventure, as they are immersed in the sights, sounds, and even smells of the Yellowstone region. Around every corner is a new discovery!

Exhibit storylines are richly supported by collections representing all disciplines encompassed by the BBHC. Interpretation combines authoritative information with cultural perspectives. Interpretive panels are illustrated with more than 400 color photographs.

The three galleries of Greater Yellowstone Adventure include:

Expedition Trailhead

This gallery helps visitors evolve from spectator to explorer. You can explore two rustic log cabins housing a naturalist's study and a field station classroom. Don't forget to check in at the Trailhead bulletin board and pick up your expedition passport! You have the opportunity to stamp your passport at six stations on your expedition through Greater Yellowstone Adventure.

The Naturalist's Study is home to our resident naturalist, B. A. Ware. In it, you discover how and why different people explore nature, and learn some of the "tools of the trade." If you're lucky, B. A. Ware will be in the cabin to answer questions.

The Field Station Classroom is a great place to learn about the dramatic geological processes that continue to shape the Greater Yellowstone region. A mural-sized map, computer stations and pull-out drawers let you explore the processes and products of landscape formation at your own pace.

Alpine-to-Plains Trail

From the Expedition Trailhead, begin your journey along the Alpine-to-Plains Trail. Winding through a grand rotunda, your first encounter is an alpine environment, gradually working down a spiraling path through mountain forest, mountain meadow, and lowland environments.

The bottom of the grand rotunda finds you overlooking a colorful tile mosaic map of the Greater Yellowstone region. Measuring thirty feet in diameter, the mosiac provides a rare perspective of one of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth. The ceiling of the grand rotunda represents the magnificent embrace of the Wyoming sky.

Immerse yourself in each environment along the Alpine-to-Plains Trail with ambient sounds, theatrical lighting and scrims, and scenic islands depicting slices of the Greater Yellowstone landscape. Each island features a re-creation of a landscape - such as an alpine boulder field, wolf den, grizzly feeding site, prairie dog colony, and a windmill - featuring boldly illustrated text rails and panels, and other elements and more to help tell the story. In contrast to traditional dioramas, you are not separated from scenic islands by a box of cold glass. Protective cases are used to house special sculptures and cultural artifacts, but were designed to blend with the overall presentation.

Exhibit elements include objects from the collections of each of the museums of the BBHC, as well as material on loan from other museums. You also encounter audio and video stations, and computer interactive stations featuring extended, virtual, tours of the environment presented.

It is this rich mixture of cultural and natural artifacts, together with hands-on activities, and audio-visual experiences that sets the DMNH apart from traditional natural history interpretations. Our objective is to provide both contemplative and interactive experiences that facilitate individual and social learning for diverse audiences.

Seasons of Discovery

Near the end of the Alpine-to-Plains Trail, encounter a passageway into Seasons of Discovery. The visitor experience is a bit different here than in the Expedition Trailhead or Alpine-to-Plains Trail. Organized around the theme of the four seasons in Yellowstone country, Seasons of Discovery is filled with highly interactive experiences. You can peer through microscopes and spotting scopes, try on a bison robe, or peek into a black bear's den.

This gallery includes an exploration station, where staff, teachers, docents, or naturalists-in-residence lead you through hands-on paths of discovery. Enjoy the campfire circle in Seasons of Discovery, where you might encounter a storyteller; or make yourself comfortable in cushioned seating areas and peruse the books, videos, and other resource materials available.

Additional DMNH Exhibition Space:

John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery
This venue features changing contemporary and historical exhibitions of photography and related materials.

Natural History Laboratory Public Viewing Area
Peek behind the scenes to find out what DMNH staff and volunteers are working on for future presentation and research (open seasonally).

DMNH Exhibition Spaces in Development:

Crosscurrents Theater
Future plans call for the creation of an interactive theater, where audiences learn about current issues in our region - including gray wolf restoration or wildfire ecology and management on public lands. Visitors also have an opportunity to express and compare their opinions with other visitors.

Geology Garden
Also in the planning stages, the Geology Garden is an outdoor exhibit area focusing on regional geology and native plants.

For information on how you can help us create Crosscurrents Theater or the Geology Garden, please contact Charles R. Preston.