On May 30, the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History (MNCH) opened the "Explore Oregon" exhibit and welcomed the public to the new 2,755-square-foot exhibit hall devoted to the state's natural history and geology.

The "Explore Oregon" exhibit combines cutting-edge scientific displays with works of art that bring Oregon's deep past to life. The "Explore Oregon" hall, which doubles the museum's public exhibit space, represents a major expansion of the museum's natural history offerings and complements its longstanding focus on the state's cultural history.

"Explore Oregon" occupies a former museum collections vault that was renovated into public exhibit space after its contents were moved to a new collections storage facility that was completed in 2009. The state-of-the-art collections center was built with $2.2 million secured by U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., in 2005.

More about the museum and “Explore Oregon” are available on the UO News website.