Museum of the Red River’s $4.5M renovation ongoing
IDABEL, OKLA.—There have been some recent growing pains at the Museum of the Red River but those involved say the results will be well worth the time and effort that have gone into the renovations.
When work is complete on the approximate $4.5 million renovations, the museum will almost double in size and will cover 45,000 square feet.
Supply problems, an unseasonably wet fall and last-minute changes to the project have led to several delays. It was originally due to be completed earlier this year. Construction Manager Vickie Smith said most of those problems are “squared away” and people should start seeing a “drastic change” in August. Among those changes is the installation of the glass pyramid that will serve as the “face” of the new building.
Smith hopes to finish the project in the fall.
“We are crossing our fingers it will be done,” Brian Hendershot, head of communications and outreach for Museum of the Red River, said. Some of the new space is already open to the public, including several galleries. Staff hope to open collections storage, which doubles as a gallery, in early August.
“We were running out of room for storage because we were at 95 percent capacity,” Hendershot said. “We need a bigger area for storage because of things needing properly shelved or sealed.”
He said there have been renovations to all galleries.
“If it’s a public space, its been renovated or enlarged,” Hendershot said.
Other changes include an enlarged classroom, a new gift shop and a renovated learning center. Many of those spaces, including the Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, gallery should open before the project is complete.
The renovated dinosaur gallery will allow twice as many people in to view the cast of the nearly 40-feet-long dinosaur, who was one of North America’s largest meat-eating dinosaurs.
Hendershot said the expansion of the dinosaur gallery is much needed because of the number of school groups that visit the museum.
The complete skeleton of the dinosaur was found in 1983 near the banks of the Mountain Fork River, just about 20 miles from the museum, by two amateur paleontologists. The cast at the museum is a copy of the original bones with scientificallyreplacements for the rest.
The Museum of the Red River will close from July 14-31. During this time, contractors will complete critical work on its roof and air conditioning system. Updates about the closing will be posted on the Museum’s social media pages and website at museumoftheredriver.org. The closing will not affect Dino Camp (July 9-11).
The Museum of the Red River is located at 812 Lincoln Road, Idabel, Okla. 74745.