THE ORANGE COUNTY DISPERSED NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Natural history museums are an integral and important part of the social and educational dynamics of most major metropolitan areas in California, the United States, and cities worldwide. The major museums including the Natural History Museums (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and San Diego), California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco), Field Museum (Chicago), Smithsonian Natural History Museum (Washington DC), London Natural History Museum, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris) among many others, have been long established, well respected and exciting venues with good attendances.

Orange County, California, began to grow into a major population area in the 1950s and now has a population of 3.3 million. Additional millions tourists visit the County each year as well. Since 1977, the County has preserved its rich archaeological and historical artifacts of past inhabitants of OC (Native Americans >10,000 years ago; Spanish and Mexican ~500 years ago; Americans (165+ years ago) and fossils (180 million to 250 years old) collected from its lands. In 2011, the Dr. John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, managed by California State University Fullerton, was opened by the County to curate these materials. Millions of objects are housed at the Center, and many have been displayed at various temporary venues over the past five years. In spite of much interest in these materials, the County has no natural history museum in which to exhibit them. To remedy this problem, the Cooper Center in conjunction with OC Parks, is developing a “Dispersed Natural History Museum” to reach the entire population of the county. This museum will consist of exhibits housed at a number of OC’s 20 parks, seven historical sites, six beaches and one zoo. So far, exhibits are offered at two parks. Once the “Dispersed” museum is completed, archaeological, geological and paleontological exhibits will be available to citizens and visitors throughout the County for enjoyment and study and for use in STEM K-Adult education.