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Colorado Vignette - The Wildlife Experience

The Wildlife Experience, an exciting new museum, combines wildlife art, natural history, and film. The museum, giant-screen theater, and its galleries are interactive and exciting for all who visit them. Each of the Galleries uniquely represents the museum's mission by carrying messages about the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation, the balance of nature, and the relationships that are formed between animals, humans, and our environments.

One of the first galleries guests see after they make their way through our main plaza and atrium is the Biome Gallery. The Biome Gallery features annual rotating exhibits devoted to specific biomes and conservation efforts. The inaugural exhibit, Back from the Brink, documents the return of the American bison from near extinction and the American grasslands.

Visitors will start their journey through the gallery with the story of how the bison came to North America, over 40,000 years ago. As visitors wind through the ages they will be able to engage in an interactive trivia game, gaze at a variety of art pieces including Veryl Goodnight's larger than life bronze sculpture, and step into a tipi where they can explore a variety of bison and Native American artifacts.

After visiting the Conservation Gallery, visitors may choose to visit the Vanishing Africa Gallery. This gallery tells the story of Africa's vanishing habitat, comparing the African wilds of 100 years ago to today's Africa.

Designed as an interactive Biologists' field camp, visitors can engage in a variety of activities, including writing in a field journal, examining preserved Goliath beetles, using microscopes, and listening to stories about the African culture by the campfire. A quiet corner of the gallery will be host to African animal art from the museum's permanent collection.

Although all of the galleries have plenty of interactive stops for children, visitors may want to bring the young ones to the Children's Gallery. Created for children, this dynamic gallery includes a variety of educational video games, 24 themed Discovery Drawers containing anything from animal pelts to bird eggs for our guests to explore, to a full service art center where children of all ages can let their creativity flourish. After constructing their masterpiece, guests can also visit the science table and wildlife footprint box.

The Wildlife Experience's 315 seat Iwerks Theater also houses a 40 by 60 foot giant screen. Films show on the hour daily beginning at 10 am. The last show of the day will begin at 4 pm. Now showing are the wildlife adventure films, Ocean Oasis and Africa: The Serengeti.

One of the primary goals of The Wildlife Experience is to instill a love and respect of all things wild through education and example, and inspire those who visit the museum and it's unique galleries to become involved in conservation efforts.

The Wildlife Experience is located at 10035 S. Peoria in Parker. It is just south of the Denver Tech Center, one mile east of I-25 at the intersection of Lincoln Ave. and S. Peoria St. More information may be had at 720-488-3300 or www.thewildlifeexperience.org

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