Chicago's Field Museum, world-renowned for its extensive collection of dinosaurs, soon will introduce a new traveling exhibit thanks to a generous gift from a local hedge fund manager.
Kenneth C. Griffin, founder and CEO of Chicago-based Citadel LLC, donated $5.5 million from his charitable trust to finance the development over the next 18 months of an exhibit to be called Antarctic Dinosaurs and educational programming about dinosaurs.
The exhibit will introduce newly discovered dinosaur remains from the world's southernmost continent as well as showcasing some of the first Antarctic specimens collected at the beginning of the 20th century. The exhibit will open in 2018 and move to major museums around the world on a five-year tour.
“Antarctic Dinosaurs will bring to life the exhilarating hunt for never-before-seen fossils, while shedding new light on dinosaur evolution and the Earth's climate and geology,” said a news release from the museum, noting that 200 million years ago when dinosaurs walked the Earth, Antarctica was warm and lushly forested, and part of the Pangaea supercontinent.
“Over the past 15 years, Ken has been an invaluable partner in our mission to engage and educate the public, giving more than $10.5 million to the museum,” said Richard Lariviere, president and CEO of the museum, in the news release.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have a world-class institution like the Field Museum in Chicago. This important institution provides visitors from around the world with unparalleled opportunities to experience and learn about our planet and its history,” Mr. Griffin said in the release.
The size of Mr. Griffin's charitable fund could not be learned.
