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Show State imposes fee for museum visitors Beginning Monday, Dec. 15, admission ad-mission to the Dinosaur Natural History Museum will no longer be free. Because of a shortage of state revenues, the Board of State Parks and Recreation approved a motion initiating an admission charge at all division administered museums and historic sites, including the Dinosaur National History Museum in Vernal. According to Mike Perry, director of the Museum, beginning next week - visitors 12 years and older will be charged 50 cents. "It's unfortunate we can no longer provide free admission to our educational facilities," Perry said. "Due to the lack of revenue coming into the state, the legislature has asked the Parks and Recreation Division to absorb, through fee collection, at least 40 percent of their operating costs." Exceptions to this entrance fee would be school classes and other educational groups, Perry added. Perry said that an additional staff member will be employed to collect fees and do the book work. The "Utah Field House of Natural History" as it was previously known, was originally sponsored by the Vernal Lions Club, approved by the state in 1945, and officially opened in 1948. Since that time admission to the museum has been free. Responsible for the early success and collection of the museum material were Ernest and Billie Un-termann. Un-termann. For over 25 years this husband-wife team worked in assembling the materials still on display at the museum. The newest addition to the museum was Dinosaur Gardens which was dedicated Sept. 28, 1978. The Gardens display 14 life-size dinosaurs in a natural setting. |