Closure extended for work at area museum
IDABEL, Okla.—The closure of the Museum of the Red River has been extended a week to Aug. 6.
The museum was closed recently to allow contractors to work on its new roof and air conditioning systems. Brian Hendershot, the museum’s head of communications and outreach, said the recent heat wave prevented contractors from completing time-sensitive parts of the project.
“We must remain closed in order to protect collections,” Hendershot said.
The closing will not affect the museum’s upcoming basketry workshop on Aug. 11.
Once construction is complete, MoRR will cover 45,500 square feet. Some of its new spaces have already opened, including several galleries. Other areas are expected to open in the coming months. Despite construction, interest in the museum remains high.
“More people are attending our programs than ever before,” MoRR Head of Programs Christina Eastep said. A record number attended Dino Camp for the second year in a row. Interest is expected to increase once the project is complete.
MoRR is home to 30,000 cultural objects from six continents and Oklahoma’s State Dinosaur, Acrocanthosaurus atokensis. The exhibition program includes temporary and permanent displays with the majority using objects drawn from museum collections. MoRR also installs off-site exhibits throughout Southeastern Oklahoma and Northeast Texas and offers a range of educational activities in-house and off-site.
For more information, visit MuseumOfTheRedRiver.org.