Today is 'Sea Monsters Day' at State Museum

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by the New Jersey State Museum.

Come celebrate the New Jersey State Museum Planetarium’s newest show—National Geographic’s “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure,” on Saturday, Oct/ 22, 2011 (show times below).

Designed to educate and entertain the whole family, Sea Monsters Day includes fossil demos by the State Museum’s paleontologists, educational  displays, a special appearance by Science Troubadour Leigh Russ, who will be performing educational songs throughout the day and a free poster giveaway.

For boy scouts and girl scouts, New Jersey State Museum scientists will present programs about the Merit Badge and the Interest Patch.

Show times for “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure” on Oct. 22 are: 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m.

“This high definition production shown on our planetarium dome is sure to make visitors feel like they are experiencing marine life 80 million years ago firsthand,” said Jay Schwartz, planetarium curator. “It’s like Finding Nemo 1,000 times the excitement.”

Special pricing of $5 per person all day! 

Sea Monsters will show in the planetarium through Jan. 1, 2012, every Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m.   Regular admission:  $7 adult, $5 child.

The public is also welcome to explore the Museum’s Natural History Highlights exhibit on view on the first floor of the museum. The exhibit includes the fossils of sea creatures featured in “Sea Monsters” in addition to other impressive scientific specimens. 

About Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure

From the Kraken to the Loch Ness Monster, legends of monstrous sea creatures have been a part of human folklore since the first ancient mariner set sail on uncharted seas.

Produced by National Geographic, narrated by Tony Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber and featuring original music by Peter Gabriel, “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure” brings to life the most bizarre, ferocious and fascinating creatures to ever inhabit Earth’s oceans.

From the giraffe-necked Styxosaurus and 20-foot “bulldog” fish Xiphactinus to the T-Rex of the ocean — the 40-foot super-predator Tylosaurus — these wondrous beasts defy imagination. The film combines dynamic, state-of-the-art animation with exciting paleontological discoveries around the world to take audiences on a remarkable journey into the unexplored world of ocean reptiles that lived during Earth’s Cretaceous Period.

The Cretaceous world was very different from the Earth we know today. Eighty million years ago, places such as Kansas were at the bottom of a great inland sea that divided North America. A warmer climate meant more land areas were submerged — Europe was just a grouping of islands, much of Asia was underwater and a shallow ocean engulfed nearly all of Australia. Beneath the waves, cold-blooded, seagoing reptiles flourished, and as these giants died, their skeletons were left in locations that are now high and dry.

The film follows a family of Dolichorhynchops (also known as “Dollies,”) as they traverse ancient waters populated with saber-toothed fish, prehistoric sharks and giant squid. During their journey the Dollies encounter other extraordinary sea creatures: lizard-like reptiles called Platecarpus that swallowed their prey whole like snakes; Styxosaurus with necks nearly 20 feet long and paddle-like fins as large as an adult human; and at the top of the food chain, the monstrous Tylosaurus, a predator with no enemies.

“Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure” presents extraordinary paleontological finds from around the world — treasures that shed light on the film’s incredible cast of characters. From fossil digs to larger-than-life visions of predatory chases in shallow seas, the film merges ultra-high-resolution computer graphics with National Geographic’s trademark authenticity, compelling imagery and powerful storytelling to immerse audiences in a rarely explored environment and bring to life the ancient leviathans that once flourished in the ocean depths.

The State Museum’s planetarium is the largest planetarium facility in New Jersey, comfortably seating 144 visitors in specially designed reclining seats that transport audiences to astronomical destinations.  Made possible by the generous support of the Prudential Foundation, through the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum, the new, state-of-the-art, full dome video system displays precision projection of more than 6,000 stars and immerses audiences within images covering the entire 360-degree inner dome.  This cutting-edge digital technology allows Planetarium visitors to feel the sensation of zooming through the solar system and beyond.

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 W. State St., Trenton.  The main building and auditorium are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.  The museum is closed Mondays and all state holidays.  On weekends, free parking is available in lots adjacent to and behind the museum.  Please visit www.trentonparking.com for a number of options for parking in downtown Trenton.

For more information, please visit www.newjerseystatemuseum.org or call the Museum’s recorded information line at (609) 292-6464.  The New Jersey State Museum is a division of the New Jersey Department of State.

The Friends of the New Jersey State Museum was founded in 1968 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to support the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and programs through fundraising, volunteerism,  advocacy and marketing.  The Friends also operate a gift shop selling merchandise related to the Museum’s exhibitions and New Jersey history and culture.