Sea Rex; Journey To A Prehistoric World Opens at Museum of Natural History, 1/10

Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World, a stunning IMAX® film, opens at the American Museum of Natural History on Monday, January 10, 2011. This 41-minute film sheds light on the extraordinary prehistoric underwater world and its larger-than-life creatures, which, with their daunting size and natural ability for predation, were ruling the seas 20 million years before dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Moviegoers will meet Julie, an imaginative young woman, as she travels from a modern-day aquarium to the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Viewers will explore an amazing underwater universe inhabited by, among other animals, the powerful Liopleurodon, the long-necked Elasmosaurus, Ophthalmosaurus or "eye lizard," the ferocious Prognathodon, and the gigantic 75-foot Shonisaurus. The film was shot in studio and on location at various museums in Paris and London, as well as in Egypt and New Zealand to capture the aerial, landscape, and underwater scenes.

Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World was written and directed by Pascal Vuong and Ronan Chapalain and produced by Catherine and Pascal Vuong and Francois Mantello. The film features an original score by Franck Marchal and a screenplay by Pascal Vuong, Rick Dowlearn, and Ronan Chapalain. The film is produced by N3D LAND Productions and Mantello Brothers Productions.
Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World is distributed worldwide by 3D Entertainment Distribution.
Screenings of Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World will be held daily in the LeFrak Theater every hour on the half hour from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. To purchase tickets in advance, the public should call 212-769-5200 or visit www.amnh.org. A service charge may apply. 

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to explore and interpret human cultures and the natural world through a wide-reaching program of scientific research, education, and exhibitions. The Museum accomplishes this ambitious goal through its wide-ranging facilities and resources. The institution houses 46 permanent exhibition halls, state-of-the-art research laboratories, one of the largest natural history libraries in the Western Hemisphere, and a Permanent Collection of more than 32 million specimens and cultural artifacts. The spectacular Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space, which opened in February 2000, features the rebuilt Hayden Planetarium and striking exhibits about the universe and our planet. With a scientific staff of more than 200, the Museum supports research divisions in anthropology, paleontology, invertebrate and vertebrate zoology, and the physical sciences. With the launch of the Richard Gilder Graduate School in 2006, the American Museum of Natural History became the first American museum with the authority to grant the Ph.D. degree. The Museum welcomed 5 million visitors from around the world this year and has produced exhibitions and Space Shows that can be seen currently in venues on five continents, reaching an audience of millions more. In addition, the Museum's website, amnh.org, extends its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to millions more beyond the Museum's walls.

The Museum offers a broad array of programs for adults, children, families, students, educators, and scientists. These range from special exhibitions to symposia, lecture series, workshops, and film festivals. Highlights include Brain: The Inside Story (November 20, 2010-August 14, 2011), an amazing and stimulating exhibition that will give visitors a new perspective and insight into the human brain using imaginative art, vivid brain scan imaging, and thrilling interactive exhibits that will engage the whole family; the Hayden Planetarium Space Show, Journey to the Stars, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg; The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter (October 16, 2010-May 30, 2011), an annual favorite featuring up to 500 live, free-flying tropical butterflies from the Americas, Africa, and Asia; Race to the End of the Earth (May 29, 2010-January 2, 2011), which recounts one of the most stirring tales of Antarctic exploration: the contest to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1911-1912; Highway of An Empire: The Great Inca Road (October 17, 2009-September 2011), an exhibition of more than 35 striking photographs featuring roads and trails built by the Inca six centuries ago; On Feathered Wings (June 21, 2008-May 1, 2011), a photo exhibition of more than 30 dramatic images of birds in flight; Vital Variety: A Visual Celebration of Invertebrate Biodiversity (ongoing), an exhibition of 23 large-format color photographs highlighting the immense diversity of invertebrates; Space Show Double Feature (select Friday and Saturday evenings), shown in the Hayden Planetarium, back-to-back screenings of the Museum's first two Space Shows: Passport to the Universe (narrated by Tom Hanks), which launches visitors on a thrilling trip through space and time, and The Search for Life: Are We Alone? (narrated by Harrison Ford), which explores a question that has always captivated the imagination: does life exist beyond Earth?; and One Step Beyond, the popular monthly party series where guests can dance in the Museum's Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Hall of the Universe to sets by the biggest names in techno, electronica, hip-hop, and indie rock.

Hours
The Museum is open daily, 10 am-5:45 pm.
The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Space Show Hours
Journey to the Stars is shown every half hour Monday-Friday, 10:30 am-4:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 am-5 pm.

Admission
Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum's scientific and educational endeavors and includes 46 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $16 (adults) suggested, $12 (students/seniors) suggested, $9 (children) suggested. All prices are subject to change.

The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX films, and Space Shows.
o Museum plus special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show: $24 (adults), $18 (students/seniors), $14 (children)
o Museum Supersaver (includes all special exhibitions, IMAX film, and Space Show): $32 (adults), $24.50 (students/seniors), $20 (children)

Visitors who wish to pay less than the suggested Museum admission and also purchase a ticket to attend a special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show may do so only on-site at the Museum. To the amount they wish to pay for general admission, they should add $20 (adults), $16.50 (students/seniors), or $11 (children) for a Space Show, special exhibition, or IMAX film.

Public Information: For additional information, the public may call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum's website at amnh.org.

Now you can prepare for your Museum visit by downloading the new American Museum of Natural History Explorer App, a groundbreaking enhanced navigation tool available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.iTunes.com/appstore/. The Explorer pinpoints your location within the Museum and offers turn-by-turn directions through the 46 permanent exhibition halls, and features customized tours, a fossil treasure hunt, and social media links for posting to Facebook and Twitter.

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