Science, Spirits and Skeletons: Museum invites the public to Party in the Panorama 2016

LAWRENCE – The public is invited to pet a hissing cockroach, see how body fluids are illuminated by black light, put together a human skeleton and see some spooky reptile specimens at the KU Natural History Museum’s Party in the Panorama, 7 p.m. Oct. 29.

The festival of food, drink, jazz, science games and activities – coming shortly before Halloween — will raise support to help children's programs and to transform exhibits. The event includes Free State Brewing Company beer, wine from Stone Hill Winery and fine hors d'oeuvres. Casual dress; no costumes required.

What can guests expect?

• Zap jewelry to learn what it's made of using X-ray fluorescence
• See live Madagascar tortoises, some so small they fit in your palm
• Learn what a dinosaur dig is like with two students who went to the T. rex dig in Montana this summer, and see some of the fossils recently discovered.
• Try putting together a human skeleton, bone by bone
• Pet a hissing cockroach
• Learn how body fluids at a crime scene look when exposed to black light
• Take a party pic in the photo booth
• Go on a behind-the-scenes tour to see the fish, reptiles and amphibians that scientists study
• Enjoy roasted vegetable escalivada, many kinds of amuse bouche, quiche, French macaroons, chocolate truffles — and a taste of the museum’s own bee hive honey in a special blue cheese appetizer
• Listen to live jazz by Floyd the Barber

In addition, participants have an opportunity to "shop" for their favorite museum causes at the party, said Leonard Krishtalka, director of the KU Biodiversity Institute.

“Your passion might be caring for the museum bees or summer camp scholarships, or adding a fern to our new paleo garden exhibit, or bringing our mobile museum into reality,” Krishtalka said. “Even small gifts for something as simple as a can of paint can help us transform an exhibit to make the featured specimens stand out.”

Previous guests at Party in the Panorama funded exhibit changes throughout the third-floor fossil galleries, modernizing many exhibits. They also provided support for buses to bring children to the museum and repairs to the museum’s iconic prairie dog so that it would again pop out of its burrow.

Tickets are $50 per individual or two for $85 and available online and at the museum. To get the couples’ discount, use the code COUPLE2 at checkout. For a discount on four tickets, use FOURTX.