basketry, branding irons, historical clothing, land grants, art and firearms. In 2014, the museum began a $100 million renovation of more than 174,000 square feet of space to include the Naylor Family Dinosaur Gallery and Dinosaur Lab; Valero Great Hall; McLean Family Texas Wild Gallery; and Kittie West Nelson Ferguson People of the Pecos Gallery, as well as a new 350-car parking garage. Led by Founder and President Patrick Gallagher, the design team of Gallagher & Associates created exhibit graphics, video animations, updated dioramas, touch screens and interactive displays, and numerous sound installations. This project had a goal of LEED certification, which it attained through designs which are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Valero Energy contributed $4 million toward the expansion, which funded the glass-enclosed Valero Great Hall, an entry and lobby space featuring replicas of an Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, a Tyrannosaurus rex, and a suspended Quetzalcoatlus with a forty-foot wingspan. The ribbon cutting and grand opening took place on March 4, 2017, and was attended by Witte President and CEO Marise McDermott, Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott, US Congressman Lamar Smith, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, Mayor Ivy Taylor and Councilman Alan Warrick, among others. "The New Witte" welcomed more than 90,000 visitors in the month following the opening. References External links Official site Witte YouTube channel Museums in San Antonio Natural history museums in Texas Science museums in Texas History museums in Texas Museums established in 1926 1926 establishments in Texas