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Family Activities

Family-friendly events for families with children of all ages. 

Idaho T. rex Connection with Robert Gay

Idaho's T. rex Connection with Robert Gay

March 12, 2024

6 to 8 p.m.

$5

When people think dinosaurs, most people think of Tyrannosaurus rex, the most famous dinosaur of all. But where did T. rex come from? Did it once roam the forests of Idaho, millions of years ago? And what are newly uncovered fossils from Idaho adding to our understanding of the Tyrannosaurus family tree? Take a trip back in time to Idaho 100 million years ago, and learn about Idaho's T. rex connection with paleontologist and the IMNH's Education Coordinator Rob Gay.

Space is limited, registration is required

Museum Members and ISU Community receive free admission with discount code, for code please email ambertews@isu.edu.

Register Today

Spring Break In-Gallery Activities

March 19 - 22, 2024

12 to 2 p.m.

Regular Admission

Let us enhance your Spring Break staycation or vacation with hands-on in-gallery activities from 12 to 2 p.m. with regular admission. 

The Giant Egg Came First with Dr. Brandon Peecook

The Giant Egg Came First with Dr. Brandon Peecook, a Hell Chicken sketch on the left.

April 16, 2024

6 p.m.

$5

Join us for a deep dive into Idaho's most surprising prehistoric denizen; the giant oviraptor! From the mysterious discovery of enormous eggs in the 2000s to being able to mount its skeleton at the museum in 2023, learn about how we know what we know about oviraptors: Did they have feathers? What did they eat with no teeth? What colors were their eggs? Who took care of the eggs and babies?

Space is limited, registration is required

Museum Members and ISU Community receive free admission with discount code, for code please email ambertews@isu.edu

Register Today

iPhone Nature Photography Class

Image of Southern Idaho with sagebrush in foreground and mountains in background.

May 11, 2024

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $10

Join us and Dr. Charles (Chuck) Peterson to learn how your iPhone is capable of taking excellent photos in many situations. This class will cover ways to improve your iPhone photos by keeping the lenses clean, quickly turning on the camera, steadily holding the phone and releasing the shutter, and using panorama, time exposure, burst, and manual modes.

Morning (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.)  

  • Introduction  
  • iPhone characteristics  
  • Getting better pictures   

Lunch (12 to 1 p.m.) 

  • On your own

Afternoon (1 to 5 p.m.)   

  • Hands on - practice techniques  
  • Managing, processing, sharing, and printing iPhone photos

Chuck received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Zoology at the University of Illinois-Urbana (1971, 1974), his Ph.D. in Zoology at Washington State University (1982), and conducted his postdoctoral work at the University of Chicago (1983-1988). He began working at Idaho State University in 1988 and is currently an Emeritus Professor of Zoology in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Affiliate Curator of Herpetology for the Idaho Museum of Natural History.  Peterson's current teaching responsibilities at ISU include Herpetology and Nature Photography. Since coming to ISU in 1988, Dr. Peterson has had five Ph.D., four DA, and 20 Master's students complete their degrees under his supervision. His research interests include the spatial, physiological, and conservation ecology of amphibians and reptiles. Much of his work has focused on reptile populations on Idaho’s Snake River Plain and on amphibian populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. He is currently working on citizen science projects utilizing the iNaturalist mobile application to document the distribution and activity of amphibians and reptiles in Idaho and the Greater Yellowstone Area.  Peterson is an avid nature photographer and seeks to use his photography to conserve and restore amphibian and reptile species and their habitats.

Space is limited, registration is required

Museum Members and ISU Community receive free admission with discount code, for code please email ambertews@isu.edu

Register Today