If you’ve had the opportunity to visit the Orton Geological Museum, or even to visit the Museum’s website lately, you’ve no doubt noticed changes. New exhibits, a new storefront rebranded as the DinOStore, and QR codes linking physical exhibits to digital exhibits online, plus fresh new online content, are some of the more obvious changes.
The Orton Museum has emerged from pandemic lockdown energized, pushing forward changes to its physical space and its electronic space, as well as shoring up its background curatorial and fiscal foundations. Classes in the Natural History Museum Curation Certificate Program are being taught in freshly renovated space, and the Museum’s outreach program has been expanded, with attention to maximizing accessibility and enhancing inclusiveness.
We would like to highlight for you some of the Museum’s activities and exhibits. Some of these are located in Learning on our website. Of course, we hope that you will come experience —or re-experience— the Museum for yourself, bookmark our webpage and follow its updates, and follow us on social media. We would also love for you to get involved with the Museum, and become a vital part of this institutional gem.
Each October since 2019 the Orton Museum has celebrated Earth Science Week and National Fossil Day. Beginning in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the Museum shifted many of its operations to electronic mode, and its Earth Science Week celebrations were no exception. October 9-15, 2022 marked the third year of online celebrations. A new digital exhibit, “Stones with Stories 2022,” was unveiled on the webpage and on our Facebook page. Each day of the week a new rock, mineral, or fossil having an interesting but brief story was introduced. On Wednesday the 12th, National Fossil Day, fossil crinoids were highlighted. At week’s end, the specimens used in the digital exhibit were placed on display in the Museum’s Gallery in Orton Hall. The physical exhibit contains a QR code linking it to electronic media. Each of our recently installed exhibits have QR codes that provide links to more information online. So even if you’re unable to visit the Museum in person, you can still experience some of the flavor of the Museum’s new exhibits from wherever life takes you by just visiting our webpage. Check it out!