This Friday, the Saint Louis Science Center will be opening a special exhibition about world-renowned conservationist and ethologist Dr. Jane Goodall. It’s called Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall, and through next spring, the exhibit will invite guests to live out Goodall’s experience in three stages: young scientist in Africa; renowned scientist in Gombe, Tanzania; and an activist and mentor on sustainability and conservation.
Science Center guests will experience these stages of the 88-year-old Goodall’s life using state-of-the-art augmented reality, holograms, and life-size re-creations. Visitors can expect to talk to chimpanzees, explore a life-size replica of Goodall’s tent, visit Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park with an immersive projection, and listen to a hologram projection of Goodall as she talks about her life.
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“The Science Center is thrilled to host this exhibition celebrating the contributions that Dr. Jane Goodall has made throughout her career,” says Andrea Durham, the Science Center’s chief officer for science and education. “Not only will our guests be engaged with fun learning experiences, but the exhibition supports the Science Center’s efforts to highlight the importance of sustainability and conservation, as well as honor the contributions that women make to science discovery.”
Jackie Mollett, the managing director of museum enterprises at the Science Center, says that the goal of the exhibit is to not only immerse guests in Goodall’s life but to also inspire them. “I think we want to inspire young people to find something they didn’t know about themselves and see where that takes them,” she says.
Although the draw will be the interactive moments of the exhibit, the Science Center hopes that visitors leave with a better sense of the mission of sustainability in the midst of climate change. As guests leave, there will be an opportunity to pledge their efforts in conserving the natural world by making small positive changes in their daily routines.
“I think people are going to leave here not only thinking about [Jane Goodall’s] life, but also people are going to leave here with some hope, and maybe some ideas about what they can do that they wouldn’t have had before,” Mollett says.
Tickets for Becoming Jane start at $10.95 for members and can be purchased online, by calling 314-289-4400, or in person at the Science Center box office.
Click through the slideshow to see more images and a video from Becoming Jane:
