10,446 people celebrate Canadian Museum of Civilization’s 150th anniversary

10,446 people celebrate Canadian Museum of Civilization’s 150th anniversary at Open House

Visitors got a very rare opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes as conservators and preparators swung open the doors to their labs and collections storage facilities — usually off-limits. Curators led tours highlighting some of the most popular and important artifacts, while other staff members explained their work, ranging from research and interpretation to project management and preservation, at information kiosks in the Grand Hall.

“The Museum of Civilization belongs to all Canadians. Our celebration was designed to include as many people as possible,” says Dr. Victor Rabinovitch, President and CEO of the CMC Corporation. “The Museum is known for its special exhibitions and permanent displays, but the backbone is expert research and collecting carried on outside the limelight. The Open House showed the public why the CMC is one the most respected museological institutions in the world.”

History buffs learned about the CMC’s evolution from a single shelf of artifacts to Canada’s most popular museum by visiting the new exhibition on the Museum’s 150-year history. The CMC’s own theatre company, Dramamuse, brought the past to life with staged readings of In the Words of Sir William E. Logan, a presentation drawn from the mid-19th-century writings of the Museum’s founder and his contemporaries.

Thousands of people also enjoyed film screenings, architectural tours of the building’s exterior, the Japanese Zen Garden and the city skyline, or participated in special activities at the Canadian Children’s Museum and the Canadian Postal Museum. Buskers were on hand to entertain the crowds, and visitors who brought an appetite appreciated the barbecue and giant birthday cake for 3000 people. Petra: Lost City of Stone and the Canada Hall were also a huge hit amongst the visitors.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization’s 150th Anniversary is being marked with a special book titled A World Inside: A 150-Year History of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, as well as a commemorative stamp from Canada Post, a limited-edition poster, and the Mozaïk Civilization mural. Celebrations continue until the end of the year with the Civilization Costume Ball – A Journey Through Time on September 20, a lecture series and other activities. For details, please call the CMC information line at (819) 776-7600 or toll-free at 1 800 555-5621.

Media Information:

Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: (819) 776-7167

Media Relations Officer
Canadian Museum of Civilization
Tel.: (819) 776-7169

Fax: (819) 776-7187

2006-05-15 00:00:00.000
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