Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s $135 million campaign is a multi-year project to transform the Museum.  It includes the renovation of historic buildings, installation of five new permanent exhibitions, and the creation of a 3½-acre outdoor urban nature experience with an indoor learning laboratory component.  Once completed, the Museum’s number of annual visitors will increase to more than one million, including 200,000 school children.  A grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation is supporting the development of Becoming Los Angeles, an exhibit about the transformation of Los Angeles.  Opening in late 2012, the exhibition delves into 500 years of L. A. history, from European contact to its rise as a global metropolis of today.  It weaves the city’s cultural and ecological histories into one cohesive narrative, illustrating how Los Angeles’ environment has encouraged human development, while its natural events have challenged human achievement.  The exhibit will include hundreds of artifacts from the Museum’s extensive collection of early Southern California artifacts, personal stories, immersive media and interactive activities for people of all ages and backgrounds.