Peabody invites you to its birthday bash on Saturday

Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History is celebrating two landmark events this weekend: its 150th birthday on Saturday, Oct. 22 and the opening of its new David Friend Hall, devoted to minerals and gems, on Sunday, Oct. 23. There will be free admission both days.

Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History is celebrating two landmark events this weekend: its 150th birthday on Saturday, Oct. 22 and the opening of its new David Friend Hall, devoted to minerals and gems, on Sunday, Oct. 23.

A statue of Torosaurus stands outside the Yale Peabody Museum.

There will be free admission both days.

150th birthday celebration

The birthday bash on Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. will feature a scavenger hunt, games, prizes, hands-on demonstrations and behind-the-scenes tours of collections rarely seen by the public. WEBE-108’s Mike McGowan will broadcast live in the Great Hall from 1 to 3 p.m. during which time visitors will join together singing “Happy Birthday.” Cake and dinosaur cookies will be served.

The museum was founded in 1866 with a gift from international financier George Peabody at the urging of his paleontologist nephew Othniel Charles Marsh. O.C. Marsh, as he was known, would become the first, though unofficial, director of the museum and one of the preeminent scientists in his field.

Opening of David Friend Hall

From noon-5p.m. on Sunday, visitors can view more than 150 of the world’s premier mineral and gem specimens drawn from some of the most significant private collections in the United States in the new David Friend Hall, named for the 1969 Yale alumnus, founder an executive chair of Carbonite, whose $4 million gift funded the project. See related story.

“Treasures of the Peabody”

Visitors both days can see rare objects from the museum’s collections in the exhibition “Treasures of the Peabody: 150 Years of Exploration and Discovery,” which tells the story of science at Yale.

“Treasures” showcases the noted scientists in the Peabody’s history whose discoveries altered our understanding of life on Earth and revealed important connections between social change and the evolution of science.

The Peabody Museum of Natural History is located at 170 Whitney Ave. For hours and other information, visit the museum’s website.

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Media Contact

Melanie Brigockas: melanie.brigockas@yale.edu, 203-432-5099