Museum opens exhibit made possible by funds secured by Congressman DeFazio

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.