Press Release

Stephanie Stone (415) 379-5121
sstone@calacademy.org

Andrew Ng (415) 379-5123

KIMBALL NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM FACT SHEET

Project Description The new Kimball Natural History Museum will challenge traditional models and redefine the role of natural history museums in the 21st century, addressing two of the most significant scientific issues of our time: the evolution and sustainability of life on Earth. It will feature returning favorites from the old Academy alongside brand new exhibits, which draw heavily from the Academy’s 155-year legacy of research, its 20 million specimens, and the expertise of its 300 scientists and affiliates.  
History The first public face of the California Academy of Sciences was its natural history museum, which opened in 1891 on Market Street. After the devastation of the 1906 earthquake, the Academy built a new museum in Golden Gate Park that opened in 1916, in the form of a single hall showcasing North American birds and mammals. Over the next eight decades, the museum expanded to a dozen natural history halls. Damage sustained during the 1989 earthquake forced the Academy to rebuild again.
Ties to the Past The outer two limestone walls of African Hall, which opened in 1934, were conserved for aesthetic and historical value, and are the only structures from the old Academy present in the new building. Both African Hall and the Foucault pendulum, installed in 1951, were beloved attractions that will return with updated designs and technology in the new building.
A New Paradigm In contrast to the dark, segregated halls of traditional natural history museums, the Academy is forging a new paradigm of exhibitry to fill the vast, light-filled spaces designed by architect Renzo Piano. This paradigm includes changeable, modular exhibits that can be easily updated to reflect the latest scientific breakthroughs; integration of live animals and interactive technology; a focus on people-facilitated interpretation; and a dispersed exhibit layout that is integrated with, rather than segregated from, the aquarium and planetarium.
African Hall
  • Twenty-one dioramas will be arranged in geographical order to present a virtual walk through Africa.
  • Featured animals include gorillas, lions, antelopes, hunting dogs, cheetahs, zebras, and baboons. Plasma touch-screens will allow visitors to dive deeper into the animals’ habitats.
  • A special double-wide diorama without a glass barrier will showcase the interaction between multiple species.
  • Human evolution will also be addressed in the hall, sharing the message that “We are all Africans.”
  • Dioramas in the original African Hall were meticulously photographed before demolition so that the backdrops and foreground elements could be recreated. The ceiling tiles and other architectural details were recreated from casts of the originals.
  • In a departure from the past, five of the dioramas will contain live animals from the aquarium, including tortoises, chameleons, and Lake Malawi cichlids.
  • The largest live diorama will feature the African Penguin colony. Eighteen penguins, native to the coast of South Africa and Namibia, will dip and dive in a 25,000-gallon tank complete with simulated waves and realistic daytime-nighttime lighting. These penguins are part of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Species Survival Program, aimed at conserving this species in the wild.
Islands of Evolution
  • The east half of the main floor will contain an exhibit highlighting the Academy’s research expeditions around the world. On opening day, the two featured destinations will be the Galapagos Islands and Madagascar, both places where the Academy has a long and active history of research.
  • The Academy’s 1905-06 expedition to the Galapagos was extremely important to the institution. When the team returned to San Francisco, the 1906 earthquake and fire had destroyed most of the Academy’s research collections, so the Galapagos specimens provided the foundation for rebuilding the institution. Future expeditions to the Galapagos strengthened the Academy’s ties to the islands, and Academy scientists eventually helped to found both the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park. Although its history is not as long, the Academy’s research in Madagascar has been equally important. Over the past nine years, Academy entomologists, botanists, and herpetologists have discovered more than 1,000 new species on the island.
  • Both the Galapagos and Madagascar exhibits will emphasize the islands’ roles as laboratories for evolution.
  • The Galapagos exhibit entrance wall will feature a giant map of the Galapagos studded with iconic tortoise shells from the collection. The 14 subspecies of Galapagos tortoises all evolved from a common ancestor. Nine of these subspecies evolved in isolation on separate islands. The remaining five are from the large Island Isabela - each geographically confined to one of the island's five major volcanoes. The tortoises are a prime example of gigantism – the evolutionary process by which animals on islands grow to unprecedented sizes without the threat of predation or the pressure of competition for resources.
  • Other famous Galapagos organisms that will be highlighted include marine iguanas, mockingbirds, cormorants, cacti, daisy trees, and deep-sea fish. Examples of “Darwin’s” finches will also be on display, specimens rarely seen even by scientists.
  • Video footage taken from a submersible expedition will allow visitors to explore life beneath the ocean’s surface – an area Darwin was never able to explore.
  • Madagascar, in contrast to the volcanic Galapagos, formed when plate tectonics separated it from Africa and India. Once isolated, it became a refuge for ancient organisms that no longer exist on the continents.
  • Many ancient and bizarre organisms from Madagascar will be featured through displays of either live animals or research specimens, including spiders, elephant birds, scarab beetles, land snails, geckos, ants, butterflies, tenrecs, medicinal plants, and spiny desert plants.
  • Visitors will be able to experience the life of a scientist in the field by collecting virtual butterflies and other insects. Wii gaming technology and motion-sensitive projections will create fun, interactive experiences for visitors of all ages.
  • Along the back of the exhibit, an “evolution wall” will tell the story of life’s evolution on Earth through photographs. The wall will feature the photography of one of the great nature photographers of our time (artist to be revealed at later date).
Altered State:
Climate Change
in California
  • The west half of the main floor will contain an exhibit called Altered State: Climate Change in California, highlighting the state’s natural wonders and the dangers that they—and the entire world—face due to global climate change.
  • A live rattlesnake will be on display, alongside treasures such as a full-size cast skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, a saber-tooth cat fossil, a mammoth tusk, and Monarch, California’s last grizzly bear.
  • A table in the shape of California will be used for local and organic food tastings, showcasing the richness of the state’s land and ocean resources.
  • A 80-foot-long, 4,000+ pound skeleton from a blue whale, the largest animal on Earth, will be suspended from the ceiling.
  • An interactive projection display will demonstrate the effect of global climate change on Arctic sea ice. Visitors’ gestures are recognized by motion sensor technology, allowing them to create a bridge of ice to help polar bears cross from one ice floe to another. The more players who participate, the greater the impact.
  • Another interactive station will allow families to see the carbon impact of their everyday decisions, and see how small changes can add up to reduce one’s carbon footprint.
  • Video footage, models, and large graphic panels will address the impacts we can expect in California if global climate change continues at its current pace. Topics will include the impact on agriculture and wine growers, the intensity and duration of wildfires, the shrinking Sierra snow pack, water shortages, flooding, ecosystem disruptions, and human health.
  • A feedback station will allow visitors to share their ideas for reducing our footprint on the natural world.
  • Adjacent to the exhibit, visitors will be able to walk along the “shores” of a 100,000- gallon California Coast tank, home to hundreds of fish and marine invertebrates that are native to the northern California coast. At one end of the tank, tidepools will fill and drain as waves spill onto a small beach.
Naturalist Center
  • A new hands-on naturalist center will be staffed by education and reference specialists and feature adjoining labs and classrooms.
  • The naturalist center will be a portal for visitors to explore the Academy’s library and research collections. It will house a diverse sampling of the Academy’s 210,000 books, 25,000 maps, 300,000 images, and 20 million animals, plants, minerals, and cultural artifacts.
  • Visitors can email or drop in to ask questions about the natural world and seek help in identifying personal specimens. Staff will provide guidance through books, computers, microscopes, and contacts with in-house experts.
  • The space will be a major resource center for school groups and teachers, offering workshops, programs, and lending and reference libraries.
  • It will also serve as the destination for visitors seeking in-depth knowledge about sustainable technologies and how to incorporate green practices into their own lives.
Early Explorers
Cove
  • An expanded early childhood education center will cater to infants, preschoolers, and their caregivers.
  • A large window-lined wall will provide an expansive view of Golden Gate Park, admitting natural sunlight.
  • The center of the space is dominated by a 15-foot replica of the Academy’s 1905 research schooner. Children can play in galley and sleeping areas and imagine life on a sea-based expedition.
  • The “California Backyard” activity area contains an artificial, life-size tree complete with a treehouse. Here, children can tend a miniature organic garden, play with plush animals, and explore the world under the soil in child-sized burrows.
  • The “Underwater Life” activity area features aquatic-themed murals and furniture, sea life costumes, and numerous toys, puzzles, and books.
Science in Action: Beyond the Headlines
  • Located in the Islands of Evolution gallery, this interactive area will serve as a reliable source of timely, relevant science news, communicated via live talks, audio-visual displays, computer stations, and podcasts.
  • The overall design will be reminiscent of a bustling newsroom, reflecting the ever-changing world of science.
  • The Academy will change the displays frequently and quickly in response to the latest scientific breakthroughs and world events.
    Foucault pendulum
  • The Foucault pendulum provides simple and elegant proof of the Earth’s rotation.
  • Suspended from the ceiling next to Morrison Planetarium, the pendulum consists of a 235-pound brass ball attached to a 30-foot-long steel aircraft cable.
  • The plane of the pendulum’s swing appears to rotate 220o every day. Since no rotational forces act on the pendulum, it must be the Earth beneath that is actually rotating.
  • Since the installation of its original pendulum in 1951, the Academy has built replicas for nearly 100 museums and universities worldwide.
Museum Name In recognition of a longtime friend and former Chairman of the institution, the Academy is naming the new natural history museum in honor of William R. Kimball. The Kimball Natural History Museum will be a powerful vehicle for furthering the goal of science education that Mr. Kimball so actively supported.
 
Project Team Architecture: Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Genoa, Italy); Stantec Architecture (formerly Chong Partners Architecture) (San Francisco, CA). Exhibit Design: Cinnabar (Los Angeles, CA), Hodgetts&Fung (Culver City, CA), and Tim Martin Design (Los Angeles, CA). Content Development: Darcie Fohrman Associates (Monterey, CA). African Hall Diorama Fabrication: Academy Studios (Novato, CA). Exhibits Project Manager: Rhodes/Dahl (Charleston, SC). General Contractor: Webcor Builders (San Mateo, CA).
 

The California Academy of Sciences is home to Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium and the Kimball Natural History Museum. The Academy is in the midst of an extensive rebuilding project in Golden Gate Park. Pritzker prize-winning architect Renzo Piano is designing the new Academy, which is scheduled to open on September 27, 2008. www.calacademy.org (415) 379-8000.

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