New Visitor Center theater to show park film
Posted By The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. on May 22, 2007
Viewers of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument’s new film (showing since last fall) finally have a comfortable place to sit: one room of the park’s Visitor Center has been remodeled into a wheelchair-accessible theater that seats about 15 people. The theater remodeling was funded by visitor fees, and could not have happened without the generous efforts of many volunteers.
“When people come to a park they expect to see a film,” says Lead Interpretive Ranger Jeff Wolin. “It’s a good orientation to the park. The animation shows the geological events in a quick and meaningful way.”
Ryan Fitzgibbons, a graduate student in Montana State’s Science & Natural History Filmmaking M.F.A. program, completed the film in 2005 as his thesis project. The University of Colorado—Boulder provided the geological process animations. Funding sources included the National Park Service, a Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit (CESU) agreement, and the Friends.
In addition to playing three times an hour in the Visitor Center (at the 5 , 25, and 45 minute marks), the 15-minute film can also be shown offsite for school and interest groups. Since the film began showing last fall, thousands of visitors have seen it.
“Studies show that films are one of the things people remember,” Wolin says. “We’re excited to have it and the theater.”
-Melissa Barton
The Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Friends of the Park group supporting 
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