Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum In Financial Trouble

[suspsy]

http://www.theprovince.com/news/national/2434m+dinosaur+museum+northern+alberta+went+from+awards+bailouts/12476233/story.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

This is very sad news, although it's not exactly surprising. Museums located smack dab in the middle of bustling cities often face financial woes, so what chance does a museum located so far out in the countryside have?

[SBell]

I was there this summer. Someday I will get my photos organized.

As a facility, for research and display, it is extremely impressive.

From an experienced point of view, I knew that this was going to happen. The location was too far from major population centres, in a province that already had one.

It was August long weekend, and it was not busy. The gift shop was a joke (an easy way to tell if a place is struggling).

The fact is, I was in a place that faced a similar situation (although not nearly the initial or overall costs). But the location, the lack of local support, and the lack of foresight for operations always seem to get left out of the equations. As long as the building gets built, the celebrities get to show support, and the facility wins awards.

I hope that they can pull through this--but it is even in the article that the intention is to go after permanent provincial support--in a province that can no longer afford much more than it is doing (stupid oil prices--don't ever be reliant on a single resource).

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Is moving possible?  It's terrible how much money goes everywhere else but where it's truly needed. :/

[Flaffy]

It was August long weekend, and it was not busy. The gift shop was a joke (an easy way to tell if a place is struggling).

Any examples? Their online gift shop is pretty sad as well.

[SBell]

It was August long weekend, and it was not busy. The gift shop was a joke (an easy way to tell if a place is struggling).

Any examples? Their online gift shop is pretty sad as well.

We struggled to buy anything (settled on a magnet and some J Csotonyi postcards); spent under $10. There were no figures at all, no decent toys at all. Nothing more than a lot of over-priced t-shirts and cheap junk.

They didn't even have decent books. Just two about the amazing process of getting fundung for the facility (!) and some random kids books...

Not even Julius Csotonyi's art book--the guy did all of the imagery for the place, it seemed obvious.

[suspsy]

It's terrible when any natural history museum is forced to close. This one isn't at that stage yet, but its prospects don't sound good. Hope you're able to post those photos.

[Lanthanotus]

I always wonder how people get initial fundings for projects that are so obviously destined to fail, I mean, come on, 34 millions?! That's some serious ammount of cash, you'd think someone would insist on a long term business plan before doing the ground-breaking.

That being said I intend to visit the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History (yup, the guys that made the awesome Australovenator figure) this winter in Winton, better to say "near" Winton which itself isn't located on a very frequented highway out in the nowheres of the Australian outback, but they managed to place that brand new mueseum a dozen kilometeres away from the highway at the end of an unpaved road and a friend of mine told me they didn't even have a road sign when he visited it last time... well, I'll see.

[Neosodon]

What happens to the museum's exhibits and fossils if it closes? Will they be donated to another museum?