ROYAL SASKATCHEWAN MUSEUM’S TRAVELLING T. REX BOOSTS VISITATION

Attendance Numbers Spike When Scotty Stops In

 Scotty, Saskatchewan's Tyrannosaurus rex, continues to draw crowds each time he visits a new Saskatchewan location.

The travelling exhibit began in March of 2005 when Scotty visited Japan. Since that time he has been busy travelling to Saskatchewan destinations and showcasing the province's dinosaur history. Today he will be in Melfort and will stay until May 2, 2010.

"This travelling exhibit offers educational opportunities to our residents because not everyone can journey to the T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend or the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina," Royal Saskatchewan Museum Acting Director Dr. Harold Bryant said. "I know the people throughout the province benefit from the opportunity to view this life-size replica of the skull of Scotty. This outreach program offers the chance for everyone to learn about Saskatchewan's fossil history."

Scotty's Saskatchewan travels have taken him to museums and art galleries in Assiniboia, Estevan, Herschel, Humboldt, La Ronge, Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, Moosomin, Pasquia Regional Park, Prince Albert and the Western Development Museums in Yorkton and Saskatoon.

Today, Scotty will be at the new Kerry Vickar Centre in Melfort, which opened on January 18, 2010.

"I was thrilled to hear that Scotty would be visiting the Kerry Vickar Centre," Kerry Vickar Centre Program Co-ordinator Leah Terry said. "We are excited not only for the City of Melfort, but for the newly built centre, as Scotty will certainly draw a large crowd. The centre was built with all citizens in mind and we hope this is just the beginning of what is to come. Scotty will definitely be warmly welcomed. We thank the Royal Saskatchewan Museum for this opportunity."

This travelling exhibit provides an opportunity for the province's other museums and art galleries to host an exhibit that would not otherwise be seen in their area.

Each community has seen a significant increase in attendance during Scotty's visit.

"One cold day in January we had 40 visitors and in the past that number would represent our visitation for the entire month of January," Estevan Art Gallery and Museum Director/Curator Griffith Aaron Baker said. "We were even having teenage boys coming without their parents to see Scotty and while they were here they toured the entire gallery - a definite win/win opportunity for everyone."

In 1906, the Provincial Museum (as the RSM was called then) was formed to secure and preserve natural history specimens and objects of historical and ethnological interest. Since these early beginnings, The Royal Saskatchewan Museum has endeavoured to increase interest in and knowledge about Saskatchewan's history through its research, programs and exhibits.

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For more information, contact:

Penny Pedersen
Royal Saskatchewan Museum/Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2850