Twin Cities field trip to St Anthony Falls Lab and Science Museum of Minnesota
This field trip has reached capacity.
Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Join members of the host committee on a visit to two local institutions with active paleontological research and outreach. In the morning, we will visit the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, a research facility dedicated to fluid dynamic on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. This unique facility hosts one of the largest flumes in the US , which is directly fed by the Mississippi River. The tour will include a demonstration of ongoing fossil transport research at the facility. After lunch at the nearby University of Minnesota campus, we will visit the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, where staff will describe the creative process of how scientists and designers work together to bring blockbuster touring exhibits such as “Ultimate Dinosaurs” and “Journey to Space” to life. The tour will also highlight the Museum’s world-class paleontological collections as well as its paleontological and conservation labs.
Accessibility
UMN fleet services does not have vehicles with increased accessibility – the available vans, whether 10 person or minivan, are standard vehicles without modifications for disabled passengers. Accessibility at SAFL is not fully up to ADA standards as the building is historic, but elevators are available and wheelchair users as well as those reliant on walkers/crutches can be accommodated by the main channel and observe the experiments to be conducted. The Science Museum is fully ADA compliant.
- SAFL & University of Minnesota: Peter Makovicky, Makovicky Lab, Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Michael Chiappone, Makovicky Lab, Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences; Jeffrey Marr, Associate Director of Engineering and Facilities, St. Anthony Falls Laboratory
- Science Museum of Minnesota: Dr. Marjorie Bequette, Director of Evaluation and Research in Learning; Dr. Catherine Early, Barbara Brown Chair of Ornithology; Dr. Laurie Kleinbaum Fink, William D. Wells Chair of Science/Senior Director, Center for Research and Collections; Dr. Alex Hastings, Fitzpatrick Chair of Paleontology; Rebecca Newberry, Director of Collections Stewardship; Aaron Schmoll, Senior Director of Exhibits; Amber Stevenson, Senior Director of Traveling Exhibits and Exhibit Sales
Cost per person: $70
Minneapolis skyline panoramic: View of the Minneapolis skyline from across the Mississippi River at St. Anthony Falls. St. Anthony Falls Laboratory is the white building on the far left.
Photo from the “Ultimate Dinosaurs” touring exhibit during its 2023 SMM installment.
Main channel flume SAFL: Oblique view of the 80 meter long, 3-meter-wide main channel connected to the Mississippi River at St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, during recent taphonomic experiments. Fieldtrip co-organizer Michael Chiappone is shown documenting bone position and orientation after a concluded flooding experiment.
