Expansion Project: Milestones

From the first glance of the “roach coach” catering trucks and the trash-can band decked out in construction gear, everyone knew this wasn’t going to be a typical groundbreaking.

More than 500 standing-room-only guests of all ages poured onto the site of the new Museum of Nature & Science, primed by the promise of an “ultimate dig” celebration for the $185-million facility at Victory Park. Guests included Dallas City Council members, elected officials, the Museum’s Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne, exhibit designers and hundreds of donors, whose contributions from a few dollars to millions made the groundbreaking possible.

Inside the cavernous tent, the shovels and obligatory pile of dirt were accompanied by a mysterious contraption that dominated the stage. After a quick stop to check in, guests were treated to box lunches and drinks. Dallas ISD students from the Townview School of Science and Engineering at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center greeted guests, while middle schoolers from George B. Dealey Montessori Vanguard and International Academy offered impressive explanations of science experiments.

In the spirit of “learning by doing,” guests found a bag of goodies hidden under their chairs that illustrated scientific principles. The museum’s Education staff members explained the lessons behind each item, as guests put pinwheels into motion (kinetic energy and wind), balanced a tiny bird on their fingertips (center of gravity), lit up the room by wearing flashing LED glasses (diodes and energy), operated a noisy “sparking” wheel (friction), and blew bubbles (surface tension and light waves).

The highlight of the day was the Rube Goldberg-inspired contraption in action. After Perot family members activated the buttons and switches, the T-Rex roared, geodes exploded, a space rocket launched, and both kids and adults jumped when the 15-foot “nature lady” emerged from the backdrop covered in confetti butterflies. The final moment came as “construction workers” symbolically broke ground with jack hammers.

Dozens of media witnessed the excitement, including The Dallas Morning News, who later ran a front-page photo of Ross Perot and Forrest Hoglund laughing while wearing flashing LED glasses. Check out more media coverage here.

Remarks were brief. State Representative Dan Branch commented that “it’s kind of like Jurassic Park meets Victory Park.” Museum CEO Nicole Small called November 18 “a major milestone,” and Board Chairman Frank-Paul King reiterated The Dallas Morning News’ assessment that Thom Mayne’s design of the building is the “boldest piece of modern architecture to hit Dallas.” Expansion Campaign Chair Forrest Hoglund thanked all the donors and kiddingly threatened to lock the doors till everyone in the room anteed up.

Ross Perot, Jr. recapped his and his sisters’ decision to donate $50 million to the Museum of Nature & Science in honor of their parents, Margot and Ross Perot. Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway called the new facility “the people’s museum,” and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano noted that “visitors from across Texas and the world are going to come to this museum.” And travels to China didn’t prevent Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert from delivering a congratulatory message via video that “this museum is going to educate and inspire so many children and adults.”

Lots of people said it was the most memorable groundbreaking they’ve ever attended, and that was our goal,” said Museum CEO Nicole G. Small. “We wanted people to be surprised, to participate and have fun, and come away learning something new because that’s what happens every day at a science museum.”

The two-day festivities continued with a record-breaking crowd of 1,200 attending the annual Dinner in the Wild gala.

“We knew it was a hit when we kept getting calls from people wanting ‘those flashing glasses’,” she added. “Our groundbreaking was just a preview of what’s coming when the new museum opens in 2013. We can’t wait.”

Media report from the November 18, 2009 groundbreaking news conference and November 19, 2009 Dinner in the Wild: Construction Zone gala for the Perot Museum of Nature & Science.

MNS is the merger of the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Science Place, and the Dallas Children's Museum, and is supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and HP.