“Exploration Party” Reveals New Exhibit Plans for

San Bernardino County Museum’s New Hall of Geological Wonders  

Redlands, CA November 6, 2008— It’s our fault! That is, the San Andreas fault that created the geography that makes our region of the southwest so unique.” Molly Burgess of RedFusion Media announced, as she opened the program at the Exploration Party held at the San Bernardino County Museum’s new Hall of Geological Wonders.

Plans for exhibits at San Bernardino County Museum’s new Hall of Geological Wonders were unveiled on Thursday, November 6, when over 100 museum friends gathered together at a private party hosted by Ron and Molly Burgess and RedFusion Media™. A multi-media presentation, explaining the innovative exhibits planned for the Hall was presented, with sound, and lighting effects provided by Events Design Lab of Redlands, and David Strausberger.

“The economic benefits to the area, makes this a great return on your giving investment,” stated host Ron Burgess, concluding the evening’s exploration. “Rarely can you invest in the future educational opportunities of our children and gain the economic benefits of creating a true destination-oriented institution right here in the East Valley of the Inland Empire. When coastal folks visit this, it will redefine their image of 909ers.” Burgess said.

The San Bernardino County Museum Association has caught the vision of the Museum’s Director, Robert McKernan, along with his curators and other staff, to create a museum that will become a premier attraction for the Inland Empire. The newly constructed Hall is a three-level, 12,000-foot, 6.7 million dollar building expansion, located on the southwest side of the Museum that will contain unique exhibits of important geologic and paleolontogic interest unique to the region and of particular value to the Southwest. The project will extend the Museum’s role from a research and repository organization, into one of the premier museums of Southern California. The creative and innovative displays and interactive elements included are extraordinary.

Dressed in full Indiana Jones attire, Eric Scott, Curator of Paleontology stood on an overhead walkway, cracked his whip and announced, “These are your fossils and we want to put them in context for you. There is not any other place in the world that contains this particular combination of elements. Earth’s history is revealed in a way here in a way that is unlike any other. We want to become engaged with the public—to answer the question, ‘How do you know?’ There are so many stories that need to be told.”

Kathleen Springer, Senior Curator agreed, “We are committed to the mandate that this Hall be the most expansive journey that you have ever seen. I cannot emphasize enough the uniqueness of this unparalleled opportunity.”

The exhibits, currently under construction, will be unique; there are no other exhibits of this type in the country. Each interactive exhibit is actually a destination where visitors can participate with hands-on activities.

The tri-level Hall tour begins on the lower level, where participants can journey to the center of the earth to explore the core of the earth, examine the structures of crystals, and even visit an interactive "test kitchen"  to get customized recipes for rocks.

On the main floor, trek around a replica of the ancient Barstow Fossil Beds, follow ancient bones from life through death to discovery, examine fossils in the laboratory, and walk through a petrified forest.

Finally, the third level of the Geologic Hall enables visitors to explore limestone caves, view the continental shifts and actually experience an earthquake from a Wrightwood cabin built along the San Andreas Fault. Director Robert McKernan sums the experience up well: "The children of this area are being given an amazing gift. It's all about people–of all ages and backgrounds–enriching their exploration of our region and our world."

“Rarely is an addition made to our region that promises to make such a profound change to the image of our community,” Susan Summers, Board President of the San Bernardino County Museum Association stated.

Together, these unique, hands-on exhibits will give visitors an experience they will never forget. Shirley Harry, Chairman of the San Bernardino County Museum Advisory Commission says, “For those of us who have been involved with the San Bernardino County Museum, the construction of the Hall of Geological Wonders is a dream come true.”

The Geological Sciences Division of the Museum includes nationally recognized vertebrate paleontologists and geologists. Federal agencies, including the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, have recognized the unique combination of abilities and resources of the SBCM staff in terms of high-level research on fossil specimens and geologic environments. SBCM is the only museum in the nation that has been invited to speak about preserving fossils on Federal Land, by the Society for the Protection of Natural History Collections

To see an online flash demonstration of the new Hall of Geologic Wonders, visit the Museum’s website at www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/museum/ and click “Preview the hall of Geological Wonders” to see what is in store for the Inland Valley and learn how you can participate in this exciting historic development.

RedFusion Media™ received top honors of a Gold ADDY^® award this year for the design and production of the Hall’s brochure (exhibited on the museum’s website as an online flash display).

Located in historic downtown Redlands, RedFusion Media™ is an Internet marketing production company serving clients from Southern California to Colorado with public relations, web development, direct marketing, and advertising needs.