Digging into the Past: The Peninsula’s Natural History
Client: San Mateo County Historical Association
Location: San Mateo County History Museum, Redwood City, California
Exhibition Design & Development: Ideum
Fabrication Partner: Gizmo Art Production, Inc.
Scope: Custom exhibit fabrication, architectural elements, scenic finishes, mural production, and graphics installation
Millions of years of natural history come to life in Digging into the Past: The Peninsula’s Natural History, an engaging exhibition at the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City, California.
Designed and developed by Ideum in collaboration with the San Mateo County Historical Association, the gallery explores the San Francisco Peninsula’s prehistoric landscapes, geological transformations, and remarkable wildlife through a combination of natural history specimens, immersive graphics, and interactive experiences.
At the center of the exhibition is a reconstruction of Neoparadoxia, a 15-million-year-old marine mammal discovered during construction at Stanford’s Linear Accelerator Center. Visitors also encounter a life-sized Columbian mammoth, a giant short-faced bear, and a northern elephant seal, bringing the region’s ancient natural history into perspective.
Gizmo’s Fabrication and Installation
Working in support of Ideum’s exhibition design, Gizmo Art Production, Inc. fabricated and finished key architectural and exhibit elements that help define the gallery’s visitor experience.
Gizmo’s scope included the exhibition title wall, orientation theater wall, an interactive voting station that invites visitors to consider environmental issues and cast their votes, and three custom display platforms. Our team also completed painting and finishing of the gallery walls and baseboards, along with the production and installation of large-scale interpretive murals.
Together, these custom-fabricated elements, scenic finishes, and environmental graphics create a cohesive setting for the exhibition’s specimens, interactive displays, and educational content.
The completed gallery reflects the collaboration between exhibition designers, museum professionals, and skilled fabricators, combining storytelling, technology, and craftsmanship to make the Peninsula’s natural history accessible to visitors of all ages.
Gizmo was pleased to contribute its museum exhibit fabrication expertise to Ideum’s vision, helping create an engaging and lasting educational environment for the San Mateo County community.