THE LEGACY OF VICTOR PORTER AND GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION AT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS (Invited Presentation)

Any child that has been to a museum, gone stomping through a creek, or gazed at the stars knows that science learning isn’t confined to a classroom. At The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis we strive to foster both curiosity and enthusiasm for the sciences. In particular we seek to engage visitors in the geosciences through programs, active field excavations and within the paleontology gallery known as Dinosphere.

Dinosphere is a multisensory and convincingly immersive gallery that gives visitors a feel for the environment of the Late Cretaceous. The exhibit space is housed in a 50,000 square foot former domed theatre and projected on this dome are vivid sunrises, a darkened night sky with full moon, and the occasional dramatic thunderstorms. Against this backdrop the dinosaurs are presented not as static skeletal displays, but in a lush environment of pines, ferns, cycads and magnolias.

Of course nothing can compare to contact with the “real thing” so when possible real bones are articulated and on display. Dinosphere also houses a working paleo lab, so that bones recovered during museum expeditions can be prepared in full view of the public. The lab windows always remain open so that visitors can have direct interaction with staff and the fossils they are working upon.

A key element in the success of Dinosphere was Victor Porter. He was a brilliant scientist, talented preparator and an engaging showman. Victor Porter made his mark on The Children’s Museum— and the paleontology world at large—through the friendships he built, the extraordinary fossils he prepped, and his ability to collaborate with colleagues across the globe and then present the resulting research in a simple yet fascinating manner. His job was to supervise the prep lab, coordinate the Hell Creek dinosaur excavations, and to make sure that the science of paleontology was freely available to all.

Victor understood that science is an intensely hands-on and investigative endeavor and this is reflected in the operation of the paleontology prep lab as well as the museum’s excavations in the Late Cretaceous of South Dakota and the upcoming field work among the Jurassic rocks of Wyoming.