As construction begins this week on a major San Diego Natural History Museum project, visitors to the institution will receive half-off admission starting Monday and running through early November.

The museum’s theater and several galleries surrounding the atrium will be closed during the $7.5 million project, which will remove the existing atrium ceiling and replace it with a new design allowing for “better climate control” and the ability to install solar panels.

“We are not only stewards of the natural world, but of the building itself,” said Judy Gradwohl, museum president and chief executive officer.

“We welcome nearly 400,000 people each year and maintain a research collection of 9 million specimens that tell the story of life in our region.

“This significant investment in our in

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