The San Bernardino County Museum

When the San Bernardino County Museum celebrates International Museum Day on Sunday, May 7, live animals from the museum’s Exploration Station will celebrate, too.

After months of being temporarily relocated to the museum’s Education Center, the museum’s live animals are ready for visitors. Their regular home in the Exploration Station has been closed during remodeling, including a new fire alarm and fire suppression system and many accessibility improvements, and the space is not quite ready for the animals to move back home.

“The animals are in their usual spring moods,” said Chad Lynde, Exploration Station coordinator. “They like to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. So we’ll use International Museum Day to give them their own Spring Break.”

“Most of our animals respond well to our visitors, and they seem to like the attention they receive,” added Jo Ann Watson, museum technician. “So, to celebrate International Museum Day, many of the animals will spend Sunday greeting visitors in the museum courtyard.”

Museum admission is free on Sunday thanks to the support of Lois Lauer Century 21 Realty. In addition to visiting with lizards, rabbits, bugs, snakes, and a toad or two, visitors can practice their nature skills by identifying and making animal track casts to take home.

Curators of biological science, geological sciences, history, and anthropology will be on hand to identify objects from the public’s personal collections and talk with them about the best methods of caring for collections at home.

Two opportunity drawings and special presentations about the museum’s planned new exhibit space, the Hall of Geological Wonders, are also scheduled for Sunday.

“Part of our service to the community is to support people and the collections they keep at home,” said Jolene Redvale, the museum’s curator of education. “We can make suggestions for how to store and protect everything from your family heirlooms to the kids’ rock collections. The more information you have about the objects in your collection, the more valuable they are.” Redvale pointed out that value lies not in the object’s monetary worth, but in the family and personal stories the object tells. Curators will identify up to three items per visitor, and request that only items small enough to be carried by hand be brought in. Larger items can be identified by photograph.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. Admission is free on Sunday, May 7, and parking is free. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Track-making family fun activities are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Curators will identify objects from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special presentations are scheduled at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. For more information, call 909-307-2669 or visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The San Bernardino County Museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.