AMNH to Reopen Historic Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, 10/27

On October 27, 2012, Theodore Roosevelt's 154th birthday, he American Museum of Natural History will officially reopen the historic Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and the Hall of North American Mammals. The reopening launches a year of celebration of Theodore Roosevelt's dedication to nature and his instrumental role in fostering the American conservation movement, both of which were inspired by his lifelong association with the Museum.

Designed by John Russell Pope and dedicated in 1936, the two-story Memorial-which includes the Central Park West entrance, the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, and the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall on the first floor-serves as New York State's official memorial to its 33rd Governor and the nation's 26th President, a lasting tribute to Roosevelt's powerful conservation legacy.

"The restored Theodore Roosevelt Memorial and Hall of North American Mammals are essential destinations for all who are passionate about preserving wildlife and wild lands and celebrating America's 'Conservation President,'" said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. "Since the Museum's founding, our scientists have been instrumental in developing conservation efforts on this continent and around the world, and we are proud to honor Theodore Roosevelt and his visionary leadership for the conservation movement in America."

"No institution is better suited than the American Museum of Natural History to tell the incredible story of Theodore Roosevelt's brave leadership role in spearheading the conservation movement of the early 20th century," said Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University. "The Museum is the cradle of conservation in the United States, with its chief promoter being Theodore Roosevelt, and they partnered together to create a revolution of natural preservation. With today's problems of unprecedented stress on the global environment, our 26th President's stalwart resolution to protect our natural resources and wilderness areas are inspirational."
The extensive project included a complete restoration of the iconic Central Park West façade, which will be illuminated with striking energy-efficient exterior lighting for the first time in decades, as well as the cleaning of a commemorative Theodore Roosevelt statue in front of the Museum. The fully renovated Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda-which is itself a New York City interior landmark-showcases painter William Andrew Mackay's expertly conserved historical murals, which are some of the largest indoor murals in a New York City public building, covering an area of more than 5,200 square feet. An earlier phase of the project included dividing in two the display mount of the famous Barosaurus and Allosaurus exhibit at the center of the Rotunda, allowing visitors to walk between the famous combatants for the first time.

One floor below, the re-envisioned Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall will feature new interpretive exhibits charting Theodore Roosevelt's personal journey from a budding naturalist exploring the Museum's halls to an elected leader with a deep commitment to conservation who spearheaded groundbreaking legislative reform. By the end of his presidency, Roosevelt had created 51 federal bird reservations, 18 national monuments, five national parks, and four game preserves and created or enlarged 150 national forests. Highlights in the hall include never-before-displayed artifacts from the Museum's collections; videos of sweeping American vistas adapted from award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns' The National Parks: America's Best Idea; and interactive exhibits that allow visitors to learn about key moments in Roosevelt's life, highlighting his unparalleled accomplishments as the "Conservation President"-a trajectory inspired by Roosevelt's time spent at the Museum. This timeline-also to be available on-line-features an interactive calendar of related Museum events and programs. At the center of the hall, a new statue of Theodore Roosevelt invites visitors to contemplate Roosevelt's pioneering role in conservation and the vital importance of protecting nature today. Before the statue, a new bronze medallion embedded in the ground depicts Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the North Dakota Badlands with the inscription "There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country"- an excerpt from Roosevelt's "Confession of Faith" speech delivered at the Progressive National Convention in Chicago on August 6, 1912. Four restored dioramas also tell the story of Roosevelt's life: the old New York of his ancestors; the Adirondacks he visited as a boy; his cattle ranch in the western Badlands; and the bird sanctuary near his beloved home in Oyster Bay, New York.