The Virginia Museum of Natural History is "Celebrating 25 Years of Discovery" in 2009 with its ...

March 20, 2009

The Virginia Museum of Natural History is "Celebrating 25 Years of Discovery" in 2009 with its year-long 25th anniversary celebration. The museum was founded on August 28, 1984 as The Boaz Foundation, a private institution. Guided by a group of scholars and citizens from throughout the Commonwealth, The Boaz Foundation soon became the Virginia Museum of Natural History. Recognizing the need for public support, A. L. Philpott, then Speaker of the Virginia General Assembly, worked on behalf of the institution in an effort to secure state agency status in 1988.

Since its founding, VMNH has experienced phenomenal growth, and has earned recognition as one of the nation's leading museums in its field. It is accredited by the American Association of Museums, a distinction earned by fewer than 10% of museums in the United States.

From its founding in 1984 to March 2007, the museum was housed in a 1920's-era former school building. The new state-of-the-art VMNH facility opened on March 31, 2007. These images include some of the early exhibit concept drawings, as well as some museum construction and exhibits installation photos.