2025 Murder Mystery Dinner Party

“Attention guests: as you may have noticed, there has been a death on the premises.”

“Can’t we ever have one semester without a murder in this place?”

… Apparently not. At the Bean Museum’s 1920’s themed Murder Mystery Dinner Night this semester, the renowned singer, Mary Swan, was poisoned as she took the stage at the end of a delightful dinner. Through a sequence of tasks, riddles, interrogation, and evasion, teams of guests sought to convict the correct culprit. 

As they raced to solve the case, guests encountered the themed characters of Doctor Lily Leeches, bartender Jack “the Fix” O’Hare, flapper Frances Fox, oil tycoon Buck Pinchpenny, chauffeur Willie “the Wheel” Weaselton, Mary’s agent and personal assistant Ruby Rottweiler, Mary’s jealous sister Wanda Swan, and the duo of detectives.

In addition to riddles obtained from each of the characters, tasks involved mathematical logic puzzles, microscopes, unkeyed maps, ciphers, monochrome jigsaw puzzles, braille, and even buckets full of ping pong balls. You simply had to be there.

The thrilling rush of teamwork and competition- not to mention mocktails, a catered dinner, and cake- we think it’s safe to say the evening was enjoyed by all. And we hope you look forward to joining us for next semester’s Mystery Dinner Night, too, because who knows what it might hold?

Suzy, museum educator

2025 Night at the Museums Report

Although no animals came to life, the museum definitely did during BYU's annual Night at the Museums event! On Friday, March 14, thousands of people attempted to visit all five of BYU's museums on campus, solving clues to earn a sticker from each museum in order to win the grand prize: a museum tote bag! While all the museums had fun activities that night, the Bean Life Science Museum surely was not one to miss.

Guests had so much fun as they not only searched for answers to their clues but also enjoyed the fun and educational activities scattered throughout the museum!

 

Curiosity carts lined the hallways, where guests learned fascinating facts about our bird specimens from educators and even got a chance to have hands-on experiences with some of them.

We had a photo booth with props that was an absolute delight for taking pictures with family and friends.

You're never too old for balloon animals, and our educators made plenty for guests of all ages. Even when they occasionally popped, our visitors still thought they were a blast!

Emma, museum educator

2025 Winter Trivia Night Report

On the  cold night of February 22nd, teams of life science enthusiasts gathered to battle for the title of winner and a grand prize at this semester’s Trivia Night! The theme was “Survival of the Weirdest," with questions about the earth’s strangest creatures. 

The event was sold out, making for a fun night with a full room! We even enjoyed the presence of BYU’s Daily Universe at the event. The questions ranged from strange names to some oddball survival strategies. Some answers astounded players and video proof of strange animal behaviors blew their minds. Even the most experienced trivia night players learned something new.

The kahoot round focused on pop-culture creatures, including movie creatures and mythological creatures. This speed round was enjoyed by all, but only one team could be crowned the victors. The winning team received bucket hats and bragging rights, and all teams enjoyed treats after the game ended.

Thus, we concluded one of the most popular events at the Bean with a flourish! Look for the Daily Universe’s special report on their website to see just how much fun we have at the Bean Life Science Museum’s Trivia Nights. And, be sure to keep an eye out for future Trivia Nights to secure your spot – you won’t want to miss it!

Emma, museum educator

2025 Darwin's Birthday Party Report

Saturday morning, and the Bean Life Science Museum was buzzing with visitors. The occasion? Charles Darwin’s birthday. One of history’s most esteemed naturalists, Darwin is famous for his theory of evolution by natural selection. And every year, the Bean Museum hosts a “birthday party” in his honor, complete with activities and treats.

This year, visitors could play minute-to-win-it games inspired by Darwin’s famed finches’ beaks, sit down for story time themed around Darwin and the Galapagos islands, take home their own button pin made in the classroom and relax with a bit of coloring, or stop by the Curiosity Cart to learn about different animal bones and teeth. This year’s Darwin Day celebration also featured a special video presentation on the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the high-profile case.

By the end of the event, visitors were able to walk away with a greater appreciation for Charles Darwin, one of the people whose ideas have helped bring us to a greater understanding of our natural world and the processes by which it operates.

Sage, museum educator

2025 Winter Birding Report

A group picture of all who attended the experienceship

On Saturday, February 8th, 22 brave souls faced the cold and arrived before sunrise to join the Bean Museum in its Birding Nature Experienceship. Spotting species from vehicles and on foot, the group roamed River Road and the Provo River Delta in their search. 36 species were spotted and identified between the guest experts and many excited birders in attendance, and fun memories were made all around. We are grateful to Keeli Marvel from the Utah County Birders for joining us and being our expert guide.

A great blue heron basking in the sun.

More bird-watching on River Road

A congregation of birders at the Provo River Delta.

Participants using scopes on River Road

A Red-tailed hawk perusing its menu

Photo credit: Katy Knight Tasia Smith, museum educator

Here is the list of birds that we saw:

Canada goose (60) Gadwall (3) American wigeon (1) Northern pintail (3) Bufflehead (5) Common goldeneye (2) California quail (6) Ring-necked pheasant (1) Rock pigeon (feral pigeon) (40) Eurasian collared dove (2) American coot (10) Sandhill crane (8) Ring-billed gull (20) California gull (2) Pied-billed grebe (3) Great Blue heron (1) Northern harrier (1) Bald eagle (5) Red-tailed hawk (6) Northern flicker (3) American kestrel (3) Black-billed magpie (2) European starling (34) House sparrow (14) White-crowned sparrow (8) Yellow-headed blackbird (1) Western meadowlark (7) Red-winged blackbird (8) Brewer’s blackbird (4) Great-tailed grackle (18) Mallard (7) Ruddy duck (3) Sharp-shinned hawk (1) Say’s phoebe (1) Tree swallow (1) Song sparrow (3)  

 

2025 Winter Sketching Dead Things Report

Held on February 1, 2025, the Bean Life Science Museum hosted its second-ever Sketching Dead Things event, and it was a hit! Students of Brigham Young University were absolutely drawn to this event. Beginning with a simple introduction in the museum’s auditorium, the students were then sent out into the museum to brush up on their sketching skills. The main event was an hour and a half dedicated to sketching dead things available throughout the museum. One could say it was pretty sketchy business. 

The museum classroom was chalk-full of specimens that guests could touch and move around to get the perfect pose of their choice. A how-to-draw video, a creative ideas slideshow, and a sketching tips packet were also readily available for those who needed some art inspiration. 

The night ended with a gallery walk where guests could observe the draw-dropping sketches that artists worked paint-stankingly on throughout the night. Cookies were also provided at this time. 

The Bean Museum hopes that the guests will frame the memories of this night forever. Sketch you later!

Audrey Gordon, museum educator

2024 Fall Trivia Night Report

On October 19 and November 16th, we had our popular trivia night here at the Bean Museum! Our October theme was centered around Halloween. Questions ranged from deadly decomposers to frightening fables and even included a horror movie trivia speed round! Participants sat next to specimens that they believed could scare the other teams. During this event, participants were shocked to learn about the grim truth of fungi and the romantic history behind bobbing for apples. The winners of this event won due to their knowledge of some of Hollywood's most iconic horror movies. They slashed out their competition and won some coveted Bean Museum bucket hats to prove it.   

November’s trivia night was a super event all about superpowers and superheroes! Participants were challenged with questions about real superpowers that both animals and plants possess and knowledge of their favorite superheroes. Everyone learned about exploding trees, and fruits, and the super strength of ants. Both of these events gave cookies to everyone as a consolation prize. Both of these events were completely sold out, and people were asking when the next event was going to be! Both of these nights were beyond exciting here at the Bean Museum.

Angie, museum educator