The Durham Museum Announces its 2024 Exhibit Schedule
The Durham Museum is excited to announce its 2024 exhibit lineup. In the spring, take a trip down memory lane with TOYTOPIA and examine the origins of toys, who made them, and why they are fun and dear to us. The summer brings Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall, a hands-on, transportive, multimedia exhibition celebrating the extraordinary life and work of world-renowned conservationist and ethologist Dr. Jane Goodall. The year ends with Beyond Combat: WWI Through the Lens of Rudolph Cook, a compelling photography exhibition chronicling the journey of the 88th Division, 313th Engineers, from their training at Camp Dodge to the end of their deployment in 1919.
A list of these exhibits and their descriptions are found below (listed in chronological order).
TOYTOPIA
March 9 – May 26, 2024
What was your childhood passion? Jump roping? Star Wars® collectibles? Baking in an Easy Bake Oven? Whatever was your favorite toy then and now, you’re sure to find it in the TOYTOPIA exhibit, developed by Stage 9 Exhibits. TOYTOPIA will rekindle the wonder and delight of your favorite childhood moments as you can play all day in a world of big toys. Featuring the World’s Largest Etch A Sketch, a life-size Monopoly car and game board, a retro arcade area and a life-size dollhouse, visitors of all ages will be transported into a world of nostalgia, where they can discover the origins of their favorite toys, who made them, and why they continue to be beloved.
TOYTOPIA will showcase specialty exhibits from toymakers including: Hasbro®, Duncan Yo-Yo®, Schleich®, Breyer®, Crayola®, KNEX® (Lincoln Logs®) and many more. “Our goal was to capture the essence of childhood wonder; that dream of being in a world of toys,” explained Troy Carlson, owner of Stage 9 Exhibits and G. Willikers Toy Emporium.
TOYTOPIA is one of the premier exhibits created by Stage 9 Exhibits. Their exhibitions have traveled internationally and been exhibited at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, Orlando Science Center, and the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, Canada.
TOYTOPIA was created by Stage Nine Exhibits and is distributed by Exhibits Development Group.
Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall
June 22 – October 13, 2024
Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, braved the unknown to give the world a remarkable window into humankind’s closest living relatives: chimpanzees. In this hands-on, transportive multimedia exhibition celebrating her extraordinary life and work, visitors will explore Dr. Goodall’s early years through iconic images and a multiscreen experience, and venture on an immersive projection of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park where she did her famous behavioral research on chimps. Visitors will also see a life-size hologram of Dr. Goodall, enter a replica of her research tent, and learn about her current role as a leader in community-centered conservation and youth empowerment. Finally, visitors will find out what they can do today to make a positive impact in the world.
An exhibition organized and traveled by the National Geographic Society in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute.
Beyond Combat: WWI Through the Lens of Rudolph Cook
November 9, 2024 – January 12, 2025
Rudolph “Doc” Cook, a photographer who enlisted during World War I, served with the 88th Division, 313th Engineers and captured the company’s experiences with his camera. A century later, a local Omaha woman purchased a case that had belonged to Cook. The case contained his original photographic negatives. After researching Cook’s life and displaying some of the images at the Fremont Art Center in 2022, she donated the entire set to The Durham Museum.
Beyond Combat: WWI Through the Lens of Rudolph Cook is a temporary exhibition developed by The Durham Museum. Through photos curated from Cook’s collection, it tells the story of the 313th Engineers from their training at Camp Dodge until the completion of their deployment in May 1919. Their story highlights military jobs that contributed to the war effort beyond the traditionally understood duties of combat. The military engineers that “Doc” served with were responsible for repairing roads, building bridges, laying track, improving dugouts and shelters and assisting in the restoration of war-torn regions. Plans for the exhibition also include a small theater area, with seating, featuring additional images in which guests are invited to linger with “Doc” Cook’s images and immerse themselves in the 313th Engineers’ experience.
