NEW HAVEN, Conn. — It’s almost four years to the day that the Yale Peabody Museum closed for a massive renovation project, and now the long awaited reopening has arrived. Inside the landmark museum famous for its prehistoric collection, museum leaders were welcoming visitors and celebrating on Tuesday.
David Skelly, who has been the Yale Peabody Museum director for the past decade said, “When people come here, everything they see is going to be renewed somehow. There is better lighting, every space has been taken down to the bricks and has just been redone.”
Susan Butts, the director of collections and research at the museum said, “We’ve got dinosaurs, we’ve got mounts, we’ve got all sorts of specimens from our over 14 million objects in our collections that will be going on display.”
Butts, who has a Pd.D. in Geology and has been with the Peabody for 20 years added, “we’ve got things you can walk right up close to, and we’ve got live plants, and we have so many things that make this museum so special.”
The Peabody expanded the exhibit space from around 30,000 square feet to 45,000 square feet, which is spread out across three floors. And another fact amongst all the artifacts; admission to the museum is now free.
Skelly said, “This is an important place, it’s not just for us (the staff) it’s for all of you and turning it over feels really good.” Butts added, “it’s just so magical to have people in here making noise.”
The comprehensive renovation was sparked by a $160-million philanthropic gift and was the museum's first extensive makeover in 90 years, a release from the museum said. It noted that the space now features 10 unique collections and eight classrooms for academic research.
Museum guests can learn from a range of storytellers such as researchers, student-scientists and local artists. The museum also showcases specimens such as the first Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus and Triceratops ever discovered, which have been redisplayed based on the university's latest research.
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Founded in 1866, the museum is more than 150 years old and is best known for its dinosaur and prehistoric fossil collections, but its cultural, anthropological and science exhibitions have been significantly expanded to make room for artifacts and contemporary art that have never been displayed before.
Those looking to visit the museum can make reservations on the Peabody's website; the museum is using a reservation system for the first 30 days after opening to manage the expected crowds.
To learn more about making a visit to the Yale Peabody Museum click https://peabody.yale.edu/
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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