The new Age of Mammals exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in Exposition Park opened to the public last month in the newly restored 1913 museum building, along with two other exhibits. The openings are part of a five-year transformation of the museum.
Also newly reopened at the museum is a dramatic event space. Dedicated when the Natural History Museum opened its doors in 1913, the Haaga Family Rotunda can accommodate 250 for receptions or 120 for seated events. Lined with marble columns and topped by a stained-glass dome and coffered ceiling, the room houses the first piece of public art funded by Los Angeles County: a Beaux-Arts statue entitled "Three Muses," which represents the disciplines of art, history, and science. With glass doors that overlook the park, the rotunda space may also be used in conjunction with the Exposition Park Rose Garden.
David Judson, great-grandson of the skylight’s designer, Walter Horace Judson, was involved in the restoration of the stained-glass skylight at the top of the rotunda. Under his direction, the ornate glasswork 53 feet above the floor was cleaned, repaired, and strengthened.
The Haaga Family Rotunda can be rented by itself or in conjunction with other museum galleries. Prices vary depending on the number of rooms and the size of the event. It is a public space, open each day until 5 p.m., so only evening rentals are available. A portion of each rental fee is tax deductible, and all proceeds from event rentals are used to support education programming at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, and the William S. Hart Museum.
By the museum's centennial in 2013, nearly half of its public spaces will have been renovated, with new amenities such as a café and an expanded store; five new permanent exhibits, including an interactive space and dinosaur hall in 2011; more than three acres of urban nature experiences and exhibits, a pedestrian bridge, and a car park opening in 2011 and 2012; and an exhibition about Southern California’s natural and cultural history opening in 2012.
