A Letter From The President - HMNS

SECOND FLOORTHIRD FLOORCULLEN HALL OF GEMS AND MINERALSincluding THE LESTER AND SUE SMITH GEM VAULTHome to the world’s finest display-quality mineral collection,students can view more than 500 beautifully crystallizedminerals, including some of the rarest and most beautifulspecimens ever unearthed. The Smith Gem Vault includesdazzling examples of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds,aquamarines, topazes, amethysts, alexandrites and tourmalines.The stunning centerpiece of the exhibit is a 1,869 caratemerald, the largest ever recovered in North America.FARISH HALL OF TEXAS WILDLIFEDiscover the amazing diversity of the seven biotic provincesof Texas and come face-to-face with its native creaturesthrough realistic displays of alligators, river otters, mountainlions and other animals found in our state, as well as somethat have vanished over time.EVELYN AND HERBERT FRENSLEYHALL OF AFRICAN WILDLIFEThe animals that inhabit the mysterious continent of Africacome alive in this unique exhibit. Experience the diversity ofAfrican wildlife represented though seven themed ecosystemsas part of the Graham Family Presentation of Ecology andConservation Biomes.STRAKE HALL OF MALACOLOGYWith more than 100,000 species, mollusks include suchdiverse creatures as clams, snails and giant squid. Explore theirworld through models, fossils, dioramas, living specimens andhundreds of rare and spectacular shells.JOHN P. MCGOVERNHALL OF THE AMERICASInvestigate thousands of years of Native Americanhistory from the Arctic to the Amazon throughreconstructed environments, hands-on activities and amagnificent collection of rugs, pottery, beadwork, kachinadolls, pre-Columbian gold and other rare treasures.DAN L DUNCAN FAMILY WINGIncludes a new Hall of PaleontologyOpens Summer 2012This new Hall will be one of the largest and most dynamicpaleontology exhibitions in the world. Geologic settings andimmersive environments will complement more than twodozen full-sized dinosaurs (original fossils and casts) alongwith hundreds of other world class original fossils that willbe displayed in three major galleries—the Paleozoic Gallery,Mesozoic Gallery, and the Cenozoic Gallery.Larger than a football field and towering more than twostories in height, the new Hall of Paleontology will featureengaging interactive exhibitions and superb original fossilsof everything from Tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops topterosaurs and trilobites. One of the highlights of the newHall of Paleontology will be the Museum’s newly acquiredTyrannosaurus rex—one of the ten most complete skeletonsever recovered.Another highlight will be the Museum’s newly discoveredtriceratops which is by far the most important specimenever discovered. In addition to being the most completeskeleton ever found, it is also one of the first ever tobe discovered with the skin still intact. The new Hall ofPaleontology is destined to join our other Museum venuesas an internationally acclaimed Houston landmark.5